The fire within
by editsullivan
Summary: When Rey meets Darth Maul in the forest of an unknown planet, she is brave enough to engage with him in a lightsaber fight. However, when he overpowers her, to his surprise, he finds something interesting enough to spare her life. Bringing the unconscious Rey into his ship, he doesn't realize, how much his life will change, as they heading into the unknown future together.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer** **: I do not own any of these characters, and I do not have an affiliation with Disney or George Lucas. I just write for fun. And I do love Star Wars. One of my favorite characters is Darth Maul. If you like Darth Maul as well, please enjoy this fantasy story of mine.**

 **Thank you for reading and enjoy.**

Last year, my husband played Star Wars Battlefront II. As I watched him play, I noticed in the game that they had paired up Rey with Darth Maul. That new and unusual pairing gave me an awesome idea :D I like both of these characters, and I thought, for fun, I'm going to write a made up story of their new found relationship. I did use some canon elements to bring this story to life, however, the story itself is completely made up by me. :D

I know that a lot of people like the idea of Reylo,(I, myself have written a Reylo story as well) but in this story, I've decided to change up the characters and give them a different meaning to become what they were meant to be in my fantasy.

This story is rated **M** for a mature audience!

 **The fire within**

 **An alternate Star Wars story**

 **Chapter 1.**

The cool wind ripped into his dark tunic, as he ran past the enormous old trees that stood in the midst of this unknown forest. It was almost dark but he did not want to stop. She was here, yes, somewhere near, _she was here,_ he thought, while he picked up his pace.

 _I will find you,_ Maul thought with anger and slight anticipation as he caught a glimpse of something moving on his right. Quickly turning his attention toward the moving object, he noticed it was a large animal rushing through the low foliage, away from his wrath. As the animal disappeared from his view, he stopped and listened to the sounds of the forest. Closing his eyes, he concentrated to the sound of the wind that gently blew the branches above his head. Then, there was another sound. Small, rapid feet were rustling in the thick bushes behind one of the ancient trees.

Turning his horned head just a bit, his ears picked up a few more animals that were hastily running away. However, he did not hear her. It's been almost a week, and their cat-and-mouse game was getting on his nerves. She was very careful, _maybe too careful,_ he thought. Every time he got a little closer to her, she deftly and smartly evaded him. Always just a few steps ahead and out of reach pissed him off even more. Looking at the ground, and seeing the freshly broken branches, he was certain that she passed through this way.

Sniffing into the cool evening air, he suddenly caught a very distinctive scent. It was a faint smell, but nevertheless, it was there and he knew what caused it. With a faint smirk, he quickly took off toward it.

 _I shouldn't have drank that much water,_ Rey thought as she swiftly and satisfyingly relieved herself behind one of the thick bushes. Knowing that she was hunted made her quick stop even quicker. As soon as she finished, pulling up her pants, she grabbed hold of the satchel that was fastened onto her waist. Lightly patting the side of it, she made sure everything was where it should be before she continued on her way. She didn't know who was hunting her, but she knew one thing. He was no friend and most likely he wanted the contents of her bag. And that, _he would never have,_ she thought with determination as she kept running west, where through the tall trees, the faded sun rays were beckoning her. _I have to be faster,_ she thought nervously as the sun's last rays disappeared from her view.

Having no other light source besides her weapon, she knew that soon she had to use her lightsaber again to light the way. That idea was not the greatest, however, she had no choice. Not knowing the area, she didn't want to tumble into an abyss or trip up on a low tree branch. After a few minutes of running, she stopped for a second to take her weapon out of her bag.

A bright bluish glow enveloped her beautiful, but tired face, followed by a light buzzing sound that sounded alarmingly loud in the eerie quietness of the forest. Swiftly looking around, she nervously closed her satchel before continuing on.

The wind had picked up and now the colder air with much force was ripping into the branches above his head. But he didn't bother to look up. A beacon of blue light was guiding his way to his prized treasure.

 _She must have thought she lost me. How foolish of her._ Maul thought with a grin, as he quickly and quietly took off toward her.

 _She is fast, but not fast enough._ He eagerly thought as he was now only a few yards behind her.

Suddenly, Rey sensed something. Deftly spinning around she found herself, face to face with her stalker. In the past few days, she had only caught a glimpse of him here and there, but she had never actually seen him in full view. And the view he gave her was somewhat astonishing.

Wearing a black tunic with matching pants and leather boots, he stood there with full confidence, while his bright, yellow fiery eyes curiously sized her up.

"Stay back." She warned him, as she held her glowing weapon in front of her.

 _She is very brave or very stupid to stand up to me,_ he thought with amusement. _Either way, I will have what I came here for._ Maul thought, stepping just a little closer.

"I said. Stay back!" She addressed him again, but this time, she took on a fighter stance, like she was about to make her move.

Tauntingly pacing in front of her, his intense stare never left her frightened face. Then reaching for his weapon, he activated one side of it, enveloping his menacing features with a bright red glow, emphasizing his black, intricate tattoos that covered his face in a very unusual manner.

Rey had never seen an alien like him before. Growing up on Jakku, she had met a variety of aliens, but none of them looked like him, and none of them possessed this extremely dangerous aura what he had. He was different. There was this uniquely amazing and dangerous feeling about him. She was not looking forward to fighting him but sensed that she would have no choice in the matter.

With a swift thrust, she lunged at him while a loud anguish cry left her mouth.

For a split second, Maul was in shock to see this young woman charging at him. He thought she was only bluffing with the lightsaber that was most likely stolen. However, as she lunged at him with full force, he had to quickly step out of the way before her weapon made contact with his right shoulder.

Swiftly bringing up his weapon, he quickly slashed at her. However, to his amazement, she was extremely fast. As she spun around, her weapon made contact with his, engulfing the area around them with a high electrical buzzing sound. In the purple glow of their weapons, her young, comely face distorted into an angry and full of hatred one. Maul had fought many before. Most of them were, of course, the pathetic and hated Jedi, which he loved to destroy. However, this woman in front of him was no Jedi or Sith, but something else. Even though she possessed a Jedi's lightsaber, she did not fight like one.

While he counter-attacked her advances, he kept glancing at her satchel. _She must have them in there,_ he thought as he quickly did a back flip, barely missing her chin.

Rey was amazed by his acrobatic fighting skills. She had never seen a fighting technique like this before. Right away she knew she was no match for him. But she couldn't just give up. She had to fight, even if this fight would lead to her demise.

 _There is a fire within her,_ Maul interestingly thought, as he kept blocking her quick and powerful strokes, while skillfully dodging her.

Rey felt her top sticking to her skin, as the cold sweat ran down on her back. Every time she attacked him, he effortlessly evaded her. As hard as she tried to get to him, he was not an easy target. Although he was only just a tad bigger than her, he definitely moved much faster than her. _Like a cobra,_ she thought disheartened.

 _He is toying with me,_ she desperately thought, slashing at him in vain again. Then he caught her unguarded and sent a kick to her abdomen, making her double over in pain.

As the pain slowly subsided, she straightened up and with gritted teeth she rushed at him again. In the darkness of the forest, their lightsabers looked like an elegant beautiful dance, as they collided with each other.

 _This needs to end now,_ Maul annoyingly thought. Suddenly, her lightsaber flew out of her hand and landed somewhere behind him. Her astonished expression lasted only a few seconds when, to Maul's amazement, she sent a powerful Force push toward him that totally caught him by surprise. Losing his balance, he almost collided with the tree behind him.

Quickly regaining his senses and conjuring up the Force, Maul sent an equally powerful force push back at her that she swiftly blocked. Quickly, she sent out another powerful wave that met his in midway. A sudden surge of an extremely powerful Force wave trembled the air between them. Then within seconds, their combined force powers loudly exploded with a blinding light.

As she landed on her stomach, Rey felt the air being sucked out of her lungs.

Lying face down on the forest floor, she felt weak and utterly depleted. As she lifted her head up and spat out a good amount of moist dirt, she noticed his boots standing in front of her face. She was waiting for him to end her quickly. However, instead of cutting her head off, or stabbing her through the back, he slowly squatted down in front of her. Then, she heard his voice.

"Who are you?"

Staring at his boots, she replied. "Nobody."

A small chuckle left his mouth, and then he placed his lightsaber in front of her face and asked again.

"Who are you?"

In the red glow of his weapon, her face looked somewhat frightened, but in her green eyes, there was that undeniable fire again, which Maul found truly fascinating.

Recoiling from his weapon, she slowly got up and sat on her satchel.

Staring into his eyes, reluctantly, she introduced herself.

"My name is Rey." Then lifting up one of her dark eyebrows, she asked him. "And who are you?"

First, Maul thought it was pointless to introduce himself. She was going to die tonight and there was no reason for him to say anything. However, something deep within him wanted to know this human. She was definitely special, and he was curious. He wanted to know where she had learned to fight like this. And of course, the raw, untamed and untrained force power she possessed was something that peaked his interest even more. The few powerful humans he had met before were mostly Jedi or Sith. This woman was neither of them. Still, she was just as powerful as them, and that was truly captivating.

"They call me Maul." His voice matched his blank expression, while his eyes were penetrating into hers.

"Why do you want them, Maul?" Rey asked as she shifted on the satchel.

"Does it matter?" He asked with a grin.

"It does matter to me." She replied with fierceness in her voice.

"Are you willing to die for them?" He asked as he stood up.

Looking up at him, she wanted to ask more to try and delay her inevitable fate, but in the last second, she changed her mind. If she has to die tonight, she wanted to die with some dignity.

Staring at each other, for a few seconds, none of them said a thing. Then he spoke up.

"Are you going to get up from that bag, or should I remove you myself?"

"I guess you have to remove me yourself." She replied with defiance, waiting on him to make a move. Looking at her, Maul truly wanted to end this quickly. However, for some reason, he still wanted to spare her. His curiosity took over his usual rational thinking. Knowing that he might regret this careless decision, he made a choice.

"As you wish." He replied with slight anticipation. With a swift move, and with the power of the Force, he lifted her off the ground. Rey felt completely paralyzed by this act. As she tried to break through his force hold, she only felt herself struggling against it. She was just too exhausted to even move a single muscle.

Her eyes widened when Maul stepped closer. As he looked at her with great curiosity, he leaned closer and sniffed the air around her face.

 _She smells interestingly good,_ he thought with amazement, as his eyes landed on her face. Her dark hair was sticking to her damp forehead, and the tiny freckles that covered her nose and part of her cheeks gave her an innocent, almost childish look. Then his eyes traveled down on her neck, where her top was slightly open, showing off the top of her chest that was rising with each shallow breath she took.

He was about to reach for the satchel when something interesting caught his attention.

On her left lower arm, there was a long gash allowing him to be able to see underneath the dark gray fabric. There was something very interesting beneath that piece of material.

Rey noticed his attention suddenly traveled to her arm. With frustration and anger, she cried out as he slowly touched the material, and pulled it apart.

"Please….don't." She pleaded as she felt the tightly coiled fabric loosen up and slipping off her arm.

Maul's eyes grew wide with astonishment looking at her markings. Beneath her arms wrap, she had several unique skin markings that Maul was already very familiar with. The same markings he had seen many times on his home planet, Dathomir.

Quickly, he removed the wrap from her other arm as well, exposing more of these markings for him to see.

Rey felt exposed and helpless. Large tears started to run down her face, while she pleaded with Maul again.

"Please...don't look at me."

With concern, he asked.

"Who are you?" Then he added. "And where did you get these?"

Shaking her head, she said.

"I don't know. I do not remember."

Taking his mind off the satchel, for now, Maul spoke up again.

"I will let you live if you promise to behave."

Staring into his eyes, she sensed that he was telling her the truth. She knew if he truly wanted to she would have been dead by now.

Nodding in agreement, she said.

"Yes. I promise."

Immediately, she felt the force field diminishing around her.

Sizing her up, he asked again.

"Do you have more of these markings on you?"

Looking at the ground, in a low voice, she said.

"Yes. I have more."

"Why are you ashamed of them." Maul said, lightly tracing one of the markings on her left arm. Then to her amazement, he said. "They're beautiful."

All her life, Rey was an outcast and orphan. Growing up on Jakku, she always kept to herself not wanting anyone to know about her markings. At a very young age, she already sensed that she was different than other human girls. Her unique markings and unnatural special abilities set her aside from the rest. Always staying alone and covered up, she never let anyone see her without her clothes. But she never expected anyone to say something like this to her. She thought her markings were repulsive.

"Please, don't touch me." Rey pleaded, as her eyes found his again.

"These markings you have. I have seen them before." Maul said gazing into her eyes.

"Really?" Rey asked with amazement. "Where?"

"On my home planet." Maul replied.

"On your home planet?"

"Yes." Maul replied, looking at her arms again. Then, his eyes found hers and asked.

"Where were you going?"

Rey didn't want to tell him where she was heading with the precious contents of her satchel. However sensing that he wasn't going to hurt her, at least not for now, for some unexplained reason, she wanted to trust him. _But how much can I trust him?_ She wasn't sure. Then she asked again, trying to avoid his question.

"Why do you want them?"

 _She is avoiding my question,_ Maul thought with irritation.

"I asked you first." He replied, stepping closer.

Rey's eyes grew wide as he leaned closer. Staring into his uniquely decorated face, she swallowed hard, as his burning stare penetrated into hers. In those burning orbs, there was great intensity and _perhaps a hint of curiosity as well,_ Rey thought with confusion as her pulse quickened. She had never let anyone this close to her before. He was definitely invading her personal space at all levels, and that made her very uncomfortable.

Shifting from one foot to the other, she tried to step back, but he quickly grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her closer, until his chest was almost touching hers.

Slowly and sensually, he sniffed at her face, and then his mouth traveled to her left ear. Feeling his warm breath on her skin made Rey feel uneasy. Instantly, her body tensed up and she wanted to push this man away when he spoke up.

"You have the marks of a Nightsister. I wonder why?" Then he added as his lips lightly brushed against her ear. "You don't smell like one, and you damn sure don't look like one neither."

Then he did something that left Rey awestruck. Leaving her ear, his mouth traveled back to her face. Suddenly, she felt his tongue licking her face, just at the corner of her lips. A small shudder rushed through her whole body, as he said.

"And you don't taste like one either."

Rey felt paralyzed again. However this time for a completely different reason. Not just because of what he did to her, but also because what he said. _Nightsister?_ Her thoughts were in turmoil.

Composing herself, she spoke up.

"I was heading back to Jakku."

Pulling away from her, he let go of her arm, and then he asked.

"Are you sure you want to go back there?"

Avoiding his gaze, she looked at the ground and said.

"No one would look for me there."

Stepping away from her, he said in a mocking tone.

"Well then, I wish you a safe journey, back to…. Jakku."

Suddenly, Rey realized what he had done. Quickly, she placed her hand on the satchel only to feel the flatness and emptiness of the fabric beneath her shaking fingertips.

"You." She started. "How dare you do this?" She accusingly said in a raised voice, when she realized that he shamelessly tricked her.

Holding the ancient books in his hand, he clicked his tongue, and then with a grin, he said.

"You should feel lucky that I left you alive."

Holding her hand out, she ordered him.

"Give them back to me!"

 _Oh, that fire was back again,_ Maul thought, watching her standing there with an angry and disappointed face.

After placing the worn, old books into the front of his tunic, he stepped further away from her and he was about to turn and leave when she picked up a rock and threw it at him.

The small rock quietly flew through the air and hit him on one of his horns, making Maul stop in his tracks.

Instantly, his face morphed into a menacing grin. With a swift move, he Force grabbed her. In a split second, she was hanging in the air again in front of him. However this time, her face showed no fear or surprise, but instead of anger and loathing.

"You don't scare me." She spat at him. "I'm not afraid of you. Thief!"

Maul thought about snapping her delicate neck, but again something held him back, stopping him from ending the life of this human being. There was something in this woman that bothered him. His senses were usually pretty accurate. His instincts and skills were the extreme quality that made him who he is. He was a lone wolf and he liked it that way. Not wanting to belong with no one, Maul liked his lifestyle now. Yes, in the past a long time ago, he wanted to be a part of something bigger, but that was gone and for all the treasure of the galaxy, nothing would make him change his mind and go back, ever.

Still, he needed to get away from here and leave. He had a mission and he wanted to reach his destination as soon as he could. And now, possessing these treasured books, nothing and nobody would stop him.

Quickly making up his mind, he suddenly placed just a tiny bit more pressure on the back of Rey's head, causing her to instantly pass out. Throwing her limp body over his shoulder, Maul called for her lightsaber, which quickly flew into his hand. Then he started to walk back to his ship.

 **Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying my story :D Reviews are welcome! Thank you for your support! And don't forget to check out my other stories here on Fanfiction, or my original Sci-fi/Fantasy books, Chora and Marked on Amazon Kindle.** ** **Also look me up on Pinterest, Facebook, Deviantart, Tumbrl or on Instagram/editsullivan or/editsullispice for some sexy illustrations.****

 **Regards,**

 **Edit**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2.**

The low humming sound behind her closed eyelids felt relaxing, even pleasurable. It reminded Rey of one of her pleasant dreams. Unfortunately, she did not have many in the past. Living alone she always felt vulnerable. Sleep did not come easily for her.

At nights, she slept with her favorite staff that she had managed to assemble from the junk she had found on the daily basis. That staff on many occasions saved her life and also her purity. How many times she was attacked just because she was a young woman? How many times she had to fight off the disgusting pigs she called, men? As years had passed, she stopped counting them. Constantly looking over her shoulder made her weary and alienated from everyone.

She was a loner. Some days she liked it that way, but there were days when she longed to have a family. She longed to have her family back. The ones they cruelly left her behind. She could never understand why they did that. She was just a small girl, barely five. Why, oh why? She kept asking herself every single day, while she diligently scratched small, thin lines on her metal wall to count the days since their departure. But no one ever came back for her, and there was no one whom she could turn to when she was distressed and utterly lonely. Over the years, she slowly but surely built a wall around herself, a wall that was impregnable.

A light touch on her face awakened her from her slumber. Slowly opening her eyes, she squinted into the artificial light that illuminated the small room she was in.

Then her eyes landed on the man, sitting at the edge of the bed. Instantly, she tried to reach for something to defend herself, when he said.

"I thought you would never wake up."

"Where am I?" She asked, quickly looking around.

"On my ship." He casually replied.

"What am I doing on your ship?" She inquired, as she sat up and pulled her legs up to her chest.

Maul's eyes curiously sized her up. Then he stood up, and asked.

"Are you hungry?"

"No...I'm..." she started, then with an upset tone she continued. "You did not answer my question. Why am I here?"

"You're here because I chose you to be here." Maul replied.

With slight sarcasm, she asked again. "Are you taking me home?"

"Indeed, I am." He replied as he opened the door to her room.

Instantly, Rey's face lit up. Pushing herself off the bed, she stood up and followed him out the door.

Taking an elevator, they went upstairs to the control room. Stepping out of the elevator Rey quickly sized up the small, rounded room. In front of a c-shaped control panel that was blinking with all kinds of colorful lights, there was a large leather bound pilot seat. On the opposite end of the room, also in a c-shaped form were several comfortable looking leather seats.

To her surprise, the ship looked clean and outstandingly neat. As he typed something into the computer, she said.

"Do you need me to set the coordinates to Jakku?"

Without turning around, he replied.

"We are not going to Jakku."

A sudden surprise showed up on Rey's face. With an accusing tone, she said.

"You said you were taking me home."

When he didn't answer, she continued, while her angry voice filled up the small chamber.

"You are not just a thief but a bloody liar as well!" Then she added with distaste in her voice. "Monster."

Casually turning around, he stared into her frustrated and upset face, and then he asked.

"A monster? Looks can be very deceiving. Remember that woman."

Reaching into his tunic, he pulled out one of the Jedi books. Holding it in front of her astonished face, he asked.

"Have you read them?"

When she didn't reply, with a sly grin, he mockingly added. "Do you even know how to read?"

"Of course I know how to read." She replied with annoyance, then she said. "What are you going to do with them?"

"It's not me who needs them." He replied, placing the book on the console. Then reaching inside of his tunic again, one by one, he placed all four books on his console.

Rey looked at the books. He was playing, and she felt the anger rising within her again. She wanted to lash out and hurt him, but she knew better. She was in his territory now. Deep inside she was glad that he had left her live. However, it still didn't excuse him for knocking her out and bringing her here without her consent.

Even though, she wanted to get those books back, she hoped she will have the opportunity soon enough. He had to sleep sometimes, and when it happens, she will take the books and hijack his ship.

As for him, she wasn't sure what she was going to do with him once this crazy plan of hers was in motion. But she knew one thing; he was not the type who would just let her do all this without dire consequences. She imagined what he would do to her if she was caught, which sent a cold and unpleasant shiver down her spine.

"So, are you taking them to your Master?" She asked, still eyeing the books.

"Why would you think that?" He asked incredibly.

Shifting from one foot to the other, she looked him in the eye and replied with faint mockery.

"You look like one of those greedy bounty hunters I have met on Jakku before."

 _Oh, she is trying to piss me off,_ Maul thought annoyed.

Stepping closer, and while looking into her somewhat frightened eyes, with gritted teeth, he growled at her.

"I am my own Master."

Swallowing hard, Rey tried to hide her unexplainable sudden fear, while her heart was beating so hard; she thought it was going to burst through her shirt at any moment.

They way he looked at her, she thought that he was going to grab her any second and choke the life out her. However, he didn't do that. Instead, he suddenly grabbed hold of her arms and looking at them, he said.

"You should be grateful that I'm taking you home."

His sudden touch left Rey speechless for a second. Still, his grip felt _surprisingly pleasant,_ Rey thought confused. She had been touched before, but never like this, and definitely never by a man.

Feeling uncomfortable of his closeness, Rey stepped back, while he let go of her arms. Then, she asked.

"Where are you taking me then?"

"Dathomir." He swiftly replied.

"And that is my home?" She asked with uncertainty. Then her eyes grew wide and said again. "In the woods, you mentioned that planet was your home. What you are saying is that we are from the same planet? Are... we ...related?" Her baffled expression amused Maul.

"To answer your question, in a sense, yes, we are related."

His straight up answer left Rey in utter disbelief. Suddenly she burst into a loud laughter.

"What is so funny?" Maul asked, crossing his arms in front of him.

When her laughter dwindled off, her face turned into a frown and turning her back to Maul, she walked to one of the back seats and slump down. As she buried her face into her hands, she murmured.

"I'm related to a monster."

"What makes you think I'm a monster?" He asked, as he took his seat in his pilot chair.

Running her hands through her hair, she let out a frustrated sigh. Leaning back on the seat, and looking at the ceiling, she said.

"All my life, I have been waiting for my family to return and take me away from that hell hole they had left me many years ago. However deep inside, I always knew I was waiting for them in vain." Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she looked at him as she continued. "But now, you're telling me, I have a family on your planet and I might be related to you? How is that even possible? Have you ever looked in the mirror?"

Her question left a sour taste in his mouth. He knew how he looked. He was a Zabrak and very proud of it. He wouldn't change his looks for anything. He knew through human eyes he looked menacing and repulsive, but Maul didn't care for their feelings or useless looks and questions. The only thing he cared about was his freedom and his family. Everything else was unimportant to him.

"You are a daughter of a Nightsister." He said, as he eyed the visibly upset Rey.

"Because of these ugly marks?" She asked, extending both of her arms in front of her.

"Yes." He replied with distaste, and then he added. "Those marks you call ugly are a very important elements to my culture, to the Dathomirian culture."

"How come I don't look like you then?" She asked, folding her arms in front of her chest again.

"The Nightsisters are not like me." He started. "They're descendants of humans, but on my planet they are more than that. They are witches and rulers of our territory. They have tremendous powers. Their powers are coming from the planet itself. "

"And what are you to them?" She asked with an ironic tone.

"Me and my brothers are part of their society." Maul replied. "We are their helpers and warriors." Crossing his arms in front of him, he added with a grin. "We are also helping them with breeding."

Rey's eyebrows furrowed for a second. Instantly, she felt uncomfortable under his intense stare. Crossing her lean legs in front of her, she let out a deep sigh. Then she asked.

"If what you said was true and I am from your planet, do you think my mother or father will be there too?"

"We'll find out when we get there." Maul replied, leaning back on his chair.

Suddenly, Rey remembered her lightsaber. Quickly, she asked.

"Where is my weapon?"

"I have it." Maul replied.

"Can I have it back?" She asked. Then with a pleading voice, she added. "Please?"

"Over my dead body." Maul replied with a serious face, then he asked. "Where did you get that, anyway?"

"It called to me." Rey replied, hoping her answer was satisfying enough for him.

"Fair enough." He replied.

Rey was glad he didn't ask anymore questions. She felt relieved to know that her lightsaber was here on this ship somewhere. _I just have to find it,_ she thought. Then, she asked.

"So, we're heading to Dathomir and you are bringing those books to who?" She tried to figure out what his deal was with the Jedi books.

"My mother." He replied.

"You have a mother?" Rey asked amazed.

"Of course." He replied.

For some reason, Rey couldn't wait to get to Dathomir. She wanted to meet his mother and the others. She wanted to see the Nightsisters with her own eyes. She wanted to know if he was truly telling the truth. And maybe, yes maybe, she will find her family at last.

The rest of the day went by slowly. There wasn't much to do on this small ship. After he showed her around the ship he called the Infiltrator, they ate in silence. When night approached, as you could call night in space, she retired to the same room she had woken up earlier. To her astonishment, he also came into the room and started to remove his top.

Rey was awestruck. She didn't understand what was going on.

"What are you doing?" She asked with an astonished face.

"I need to meditate." Maul replied, as he folded his tunic over the chair.

From the folded tunic, Rey's eyes landed on his chiseled, tattooed upper body. For a second she was just staring at him with awe. She didn't expect him to look like this at all. The tattoos that covered his face continued their intricate designs down on his wide, muscular chest, disappearing into his waistband.

When her eyes landed on his pants, she quickly looked away in shame. _Bloody hell, no!_ She thought, swiftly averting her gaze from his body.

Maul wasn't surprise at her behavior. This was not the first time a human female or any female looked at him like that. He was no stranger to women. However, he never stayed longer than a night with any of them. He liked his lifestyle and he liked his freedom. That is why he never took any of the Nightsisters as his mate. He knew once he did that, he was obligated for life, and he was not ready for that, nor he'd ever be.

Ignoring Rey, he sat down at the foot of the bed and started to meditate.

Closing his eyes, he tried to concentrate, but for some reason he just couldn't. His mind kept coming back to Rey. Her presence was bothersome. Even though, she was surprisingly quite, he was not able to clear his mind with her being in the same room with him. Then he had an idea. Opening his eyes, he called to her.

"Come here and meditate with me."

As Rey sat up, for a few seconds she was confused. _He wants me to meditate with him?_ She thought with surprise.

She had never meditated before. There was just no time for something like that on Jakku. She didn't even know how to do it properly. However, here on this ship, there was plenty of time to do that. However she felt the need to go to him, because in a sense, she wanted to learn from this man. She knew through experience that he was a strong Force user and she wanted to know how he utilized that unexplained power, that she also possessed.

Getting up and sitting down on the ground across from him, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

Maul looked at Rey, and then he closed his eyes, and started to relax. Finally, the peace he was looking for came to him.

Behind her closed eyelids, Rey felt peaceful and relaxed as well. Feeling him beside her gave her an unexpected, but pleasurable sensation. It felt like at some level he was connected with her. The powerful aura she felt around him earlier became more noticeable and much stronger as they deepened their connections with each other. She felt herself drifting closer to him. Even though she hadn't moved physically, she felt her powers intertwining with his in a very unusual manner. It was an odd sensation, but not unpleasant. Then, she heard his voice in her head.

 _Rey,_ he called. _I want to show you something. Are you ready?_

She wasn't sure if she was ready for anything he might want to show her, but reluctantly she replied in the same manner.

 _Yes._

Suddenly, she experienced visions coming from him. She saw a planet she had never seen before. Then the vision changed and she saw a large temple with intricate markings on its stone walls. Then the vision took her to a cave full of crystals, and then lastly, the vision showed her an older, deformed man with dark clothing. This vision left her perplexed. Somehow she knew who that man was. When their connection broke, she opened her eyes and noticed him looking at her.

Without saying anything, he got up and walked to the bed. Patting the empty spot next to him, he motioned for her to come closer.

Rey couldn't believe that he wanted to sleep in the same bed with her.

"There is another room." She swiftly spoke up, feeling odd at the moment.

"Yes, there is." He said in a monotone voice.

"Then why are you here?" She asked astonished, standing at the foot of the bed.

"You haven't earned my trust." He replied. Then he added. "I want to make sure that you are in my sight at all times."

Contemplating by the bed, Rey's mind was in turmoil. She wanted to ask him about the visions they shared, but she just didn't want to get into a conversation with him at the moment. She hoped for a good night sleep, but that was obviously out of the question now.

"If you prefer." He said as he motioned toward the ground. "You're welcome to sleep on the floor."

She wanted to say yes, that she would rather sleep on the floor, however, looking at the hard, cold floor, and then the bed, she knew she had no choice but to lie down next to him, if she wanted to sleep more comfortably.

"Can you at least put your shirt back on?" Rey asked with apprehension.

"I prefer to sleep like this." Maul casually replied, then with a grin, he added. "I usually don't wear anything to bed, but I wanted to spare your eyes of my naked body."

Suddenly, Rey felt extremely awkward, as she imagined his naked body lying next to her. A sudden, quick shiver ran through her body. Clearing her throat, she said.

"Thank you. It's very generous of you."

Fully clothed, she reluctantly lay down next to him. The bed was not designed for two people to sleep comfortable side by side. As she tried to get comfortable, her backside accidentally bumped into him, giving her an extremely uncomfortable feeling.

Maul, however felt completely relaxed. He knew if she was here with him, she had no chance of doing something unwise. He sensed that she was planning something and he didn't want to wait to find out what she had conjured up in her little brain. Folding his arms around her, he pulled her closer until her body was completely pushed up against his. Then closing his eyes, and with a grin on his face, he went to sleep.

For Rey sleep didn't come easily that night. Feeling his warm body against hers felt utterly strange. This was the first time that she had shared her bed with a man. She was not used to this type of physical contact. However, after a few hours, exhaustion took over her, and within minutes, she was fast asleep.

When her breathing became shallower and her body relaxed, Maul opened his eyes. As his arms gently enfolded her sleeping form, he slowly buried his face into her soft hair. Breathing her unique scent in, and with a smile, he went back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

Their weeklong trip went fast and without any complications. Every single day Rey learned more about her new home. She was fascinated by the stories Maul had told her about life on Dathomir. After the second night and still sleeping in the same bed, she abandoned her original plans. She thought it was pointless to do that. He was an interesting companion, and in his way he was even nice to her. Even though he didn't talk much about himself or what he had done, or where he had been, she was glad to hear his stories as a little boy growing up on Dathomir. The more she heard about his planet the more she wanted to be there. Growing up on the junk planet like Jakku, to Rey everything else sounded like a fairytale.

When the planet came into view, she was amazed by its size and deep red color. The planet reminded her of a bleeding star that looked menacing just like Maul.

With ease, Maul landed the ship in a wooded area. In the distance, she noticed enormous mountains protectively looming over the dense forest like bodyguards. This wonderful view and the fresh cool air was something Rey had sought after for a while now. Then she noticed him placing the books and her weapon into a black leather bag, which he put beneath the seat of his strange looking speeder, he called Bloodfin. _Interesting name to call a speeder,_ Rey thought, as she watched him getting onto it.

Patting the small space in front of him, he gestured Rey to sit down. Sitting in front of him, and not having enough space for herself, Rey had to tightly press her body against his. On the way here, she was slowly getting used to him, and feeling his body behind her again made Rey think of some unconventional thoughts. But for the love of Force, she hoped he had no idea what she was thinking at that moment. Some days she wondered if he felt the same way as she did.

As the speeder sped across the forest, a small, delightful smile enveloped Rey's face. Through the Force, she called to Maul.

 _Where are we going?_

 _To see my brothers._ His voice sounded calm with a trace of apprehension. _  
_

With excitement, Rey quickly replied. _I can't wait to meet them._

 _Don't get too excited now._ Maul replied.

 _But I am._ She said, turning her head toward him. _I can't help it._

Maul didn't reply. With a smirk, he kept driving on until they reached the outskirts of a small village where his brothers lived.

As soon as they stopped in the middle of the village, Rey immediately disliked the place. As she looked around, she only saw metal shacks and buildings that looked cold and uninviting. _That's not what I was hoping for_ , she thought disheartened.

Grabbing her by the waist, he effortlessly lifted her out of the seat and placed her on the ground.

"I could have done this myself." Rey murmured, sending a slightly upset look at Maul.

"Stay here." Maul ordered her, as he made his way toward the biggest metal building that stood in the middle of town.

Suddenly, out of the buildings Rey saw many Zabrak approaching.

The biggest of them all walked up to Maul and gave him a friendly hug. Then she heard his deep voice.

"Brother. Good to see you again."

Then his yellow eyes landed on Rey and he asked.

"And who is this?"

Letting his brother go, Maul turned around and motioned toward Rey and said.

"She is one of us."

"Where did you find her?" The big Zabrak asked, eyeing Rey.

"On a small planet in the Yost system. But it's a long story." Maul replied. Then he added. "I'll tell you later."

While Maul was occupied with the other Zabrak, Rey's thoughts were in turmoil. She didn't know what to think of this place. These Zabraks looked unfriendly and even scary. Even though they didn't approach her, she felt utterly exposed and totally uncomfortable under their intense gaze. Nervously rubbing her arms, she looked around. The rough edged metal buildings looked uninviting, and their occupants _looked like savages,_ Rey thought disheartened. She hoped the Nightsisters lived in much better and more inviting conditions.

Then, she noticed, Maul and the big Zabrak approaching her.

"Tiny little thing." The big Zabrak said, sizing Rey up.

She had to strain her neck as she looked up to him. He was at least a head taller than Maul. _Maybe even taller than that,_ Rey thought, staring at his large, gnarly horns that occupied the top of his yellow head, which was decorated with black intricate tattoos _. Just like Maul's,_ she thought. _Why do they all have to look at me like that?_ Rey thought feeling uneasy under his penetrating stare, as his yellow eyes intently watched her.

"And you said, she is a Force user and a Nightsister?" He asked Maul, while his eyes never left hers.

"Yes." Maul replied, looking at Rey.

"Interesting." The tall Zabrak murmured.

Feeling a little awkward that no one had introduced her, Rey extended her arm and said.

"By the way, my name is Rey." Then she quickly added. "You must be Savage, right?"

Furrowing his eyebrows, the tall Zabrak looked at Rey's extended hand. Wrapping his large hand over hers, he firmly shook it and said.

"Yes, I am Savage."

Letting her hand go, he introduced Rey to the rest of the Zabraks.

Later that evening, they all gathered in the big building. Sitting around a large fire that burned brightly in the middle of the expansive room, Rey slowly scanned the solemn faces that were staring into the fire. _They all have the same look,_ she thought, as she scanned her eyes over them. They all had horns on the top of their heads, and their skin, which differed from one to another was marked with black tattoos. They all _looked like savage warriors_ , Rey thought with awe. She wondered if they also possessed the same raw strength as Maul did.

Then she looked up toward the pitched roof. There was a wide opening, allowing her to gaze at the amazing starry night sky. Back on Jakku at nights, when she couldn't sleep, she loved to climb on top of her AT-AT. While lying flat on the backside of the metal monster, she dreamed about the future she might never have.

Then she overheard something.

"She is dead." Savage said to Maul with a sad face.

"When did she die?" Maul asked, looking a little distraught himself as well.

"A few nights ago." Savage replied. Then he added. "Her funeral will be held tomorrow."

With a saddened face, Maul replied.

"Then we better get some rest."

Standing up, he gestured Rey to follow.

Leaving the building, they headed toward the outskirts of the village. A smaller building came into view that _looked more like a makeshift shack than a house,_ Rey thought with apprehension.

"Who is she?" Rey asked, looking at Maul's back.

When he didn't answer, she thought about asking him again, but then she thought otherwise. _It might be better not to push on this subject_ she brooded. Stopping in front of the small building, she asked.

"Is this your home?"

"Yes." Maul replied, and then he entered the shack.

Following him in, at first Rey couldn't see anything in the darkness that engulfed the inside of the shack. Then she heard him walking to the opposite side and suddenly he ignited his lightsaber. Rey froze for a second. Then she realized why he did that. Touching the end of his lightsaber to something flammable, within seconds, hot red coal was burning in the fireplace next to a small table with two chairs. The inside of the small home was very modest, as Rey's eyes landed on the single metal-framed bed that stood against the wall. In front of the bed was a large, worn, faded carpet covering the metal floor. Then her eyes with interest gazed at the back wall, where a variety of weapons were lined up, one after another. The place looked _extremely simple, but surprisingly tidy,_ Rey thought with amazement, as she walked around and stopped in front of the fireplace.

Removing his top, he folded his shirt over one of the chairs. Then sitting down on top of the carpet, he called to Rey.

"Come." He said. "I'll show you something."

While meditating, he showed her more images. One of them was a small ancient woman wearing a large ivory headpiece that looked like it was made out of a variety of bones. Even though she was small, she looked strong and very powerful.

 _Who is she?_ Rey asked through their connection.

 _Her name is Old Daka._ He replied. _She was the oldest and most powerful Nightsister who ever lived in Dathomir._ Suddenly, Rey sensed great sadness coming from Maul. This sad, lonely feeling he emitted was something new and also overwhelming. She wanted nothing more than comfort him and tell him that she was here for him and he was not alone, but she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to do that. She still wasn't sure about him or his intentions. However, feeling his grief awoke an extreme sadness inside her as well. The feeling of loneliness and despair came back to her with full force. Not wanting to feel this painful sensation again, she instantly disconnected their connection and stood up and walked to the bed.

She winced as she slumped down on the firm mattress, and then she took her boots off and placed them on the floor. Then she lay in bed waiting on him.

Staying seated on the floor, Maul didn't feel like getting up. His grief for Old Daka ran raw and deep. She was like a grandmother not just to him, but also to all of them. Wise and firm, but gentle too, if she chose to. _She'll be missed greatly,_ Maul thought with sadness, as he tried to compose himself. He knew he let himself slip up a little in front of Rey. _I shouldn't have done that,_ he angrily thought to himself.

Getting up, he slowly walked to the bed.

Lying down next to Rey, he turned his back on her, and then folded his arm under his pillow, closed his eyes and hoped to fall asleep.

While his back was tightly pressed into her, instinctively she embraced him. Placing her head against his back, she spoke up.

"I'm so sorry for your loss."

When she didn't hear anything from him, she resumed.

"I felt your pain. I know what you feel."

"You have no idea how I feel." Maul replied, and then shifting his body, he turned to face her.

In the dim light of the room Rey was only able to see the contour of his face. Feeling his warm breath on her skin, she knew he was staring at her with intensity.

Rey sensed that he would never admit it freely that there was a certain weakness in him. _That is how men are,_ she thought with a frown, _especially men like him._ They would rather die or suffer instead of admitting their weaknesses.

"I'm a good listener." Rey spoke up. "If you want….

"I just want you to be quite." Maul growled with annoyance.

"Ok, no problem." Rey said in a hushed voice.

"Go to sleep." Maul said. Then the room went completely quiet, except for the occasional crackling sounds that came from the fireplace. Rey tried to fall asleep, but her mind was occupied with tomorrow's events. She felt excited, but on the other hand, she felt sorry for Maul and his brothers. She knew how it felt to lose someone. Although she wanted to comfort Maul, deep inside she knew he was not the type of person who would allow that. Without thinking it through, she gently grabbed hold of his face and planted a light kiss on his lips, and then she quickly said.

"Good night."

Letting him go, she crossed her arms in front of her chest and closed her eyes, hoping for a good night sleep.

This unexpected gesture took Maul by surprise. The kiss was light and brief. But the touch of her soft lips felt pleasantly good, and suddenly, it left him wanting more. Pulling her closer, he swiftly found her lips. Tightly pressing his body against hers, instantly his tongue invaded her mouth, taking all that sweet sensation from her, while she without objection, passionately kissed him back.

His demanding kiss was _surprisingly gentle,_ Rey thought, while his tongue explored her mouth. A strange, but pleasant feeling coursed through her body, something she had never felt before. Running her hand over his wide shoulder, she gently rubbed her hand against his skin, feeling each and every muscle beneath her fingertips. The sensation he gave her was extraordinary. It felt like their bodies and souls were connected in a deep and intimate level. Even though, she knew she should have been denying his touch, deep inside, she truly enjoyed this.

She tasted _sweet and wonderful,_ Maul thought with despair, as he deepened the kiss. Running his hand over her arm, he felt each marks, as they made a slight indentation in her soft skin. Then his hand slowly slid down on her hip, and grabbed onto her shapely, firm backside, squeezing it lightly and then more forcefully. Within their kiss, there was a spark of innocence mixed with strong and lustful desire. The sudden passion that she had awakened in him drove Maul to the edge. He never felt something like this before. This great desire was burning within him, and he wanted her more than anything he ever wanted in his whole life.

Pulling him on top, and cradling his hips with her lean legs, she felt his great excitement pressing down on her, as he slowly and rhythmically moved his hips in unison with hers. This sensation alone was an _extraordinary good feeling,_ Rey desperately thought. Then suddenly he broke their kiss and looked into her eyes. Within those burning eyes, she saw tremendous desire for her, but she also saw something else. There was a _flicker of guilt or regret,_ she thought.

"Don't make me do this." He growled.

Then he pushed himself off and sat on the edge of the bed. Maul knew that what had just happened between them was just flared up passion and was an irresponsible and thoughtless action. He shouldn't have allowed his emotions to play games with him. He was out of order and he knew it. Her being a Nightsister was not something Maul wanted to play with. He knew when tomorrow comes, she'd be introduced to his mother and to the rest of the Nightsisters. From then on, she would be a great asset to his mother. As a powerful Force user, he was certain that his mother would not want her to mingle with his people. If he had taken her innocence, his mother would have never forgave him. This was the last thing he wanted to do.

Quickly getting up and putting on his shirt, he said to the stunned Rey.

"Stay here. I'll be back in the morning."

With that, he was out the door.

Rey didn't understand what had just happened. Feeling extremely frustrated and confused she buried her head into her hands, while she let out a shaky breath. What happened between them was something Rey have never expected to happen. She knew what they did was inappropriate, still, she liked it and wanted more. The great desire for him was still lingering in her heated body as she tried to pull herself together. Turning toward the wall, she curled into a fetal position and hoped to fall asleep. But sleep didn't come easily for her, and it took her hours before she finally managed to drift off.

Maul needed space. He needed to get away from her. If he had stayed any longer, by now, she would have been taken and that was just _out of the question,_ Maul thought with frustration, as he headed toward the main building.

As soon as he walked in, he noticed some of his brothers still lingering around the diminishing fire. Amongst them was Savage, who looked up as soon as he walked in. Trying to avoid his gaze, Maul sat down next to him, when Savage spoke up.

"I hope you're here because you did something that you might regret later."

Avoiding his brother's gaze, Maul stared into the fire and said.

"No I didn't, but I could have."

Placing his large hand on Maul's shoulder, Savage said with a sly grin.

"I know you brother. You are passionate, but not stupid." Then he added. "She is small, but powerful, and of course beautiful as well. I know it's not easy to resist someone like her."

"Look who's talking?" Maul shot a 'you know better than that look' toward his brother. But instead of getting angry with him about bringing up some unpleasant memories that he tried to forget, Savage turned to Maul and said.

"I know what you need right now."

Looking into Savage's eyes, Maul instantly knew what he meant. A wide grin appeared on his face, and said.

"Let's go."

Leaving the building, and getting onto their speeders, they took off toward the mountains.

Their hunt had been fairly successful, when they returned to the village hours later, just before the first rays of sunlight broke through the dark horizon.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4.**

Opening her eyes, Rey squinted into the upcoming sunrays that were brightly filtering through the small window above the table. Feeling the empty spot next to her, suddenly reminded her of last night. Trying to forget what happened, she quickly sprung up, when she heard shouting and whistling coming from outside.

Putting her boots on, she stepped outside, and quickly followed the sound, just to see Savage hurling a head of a very large animal across the small plaza, followed by the rest of its body that was carried by some of his brothers and Maul.

When her eyes landed on Maul, he looked at her, but then turned his attention back to the carcass. He flung it off his shoulder and dropped it next to the rest of the body.

There was a giant heap of cut up pieces of meat occupying the middle of the small plaza now. Stepping closer, Rey was astonished by the size of this animal. She had seen large animals before but never something like this. This creature, with its sharp, long claws and pointy nine-inch teeth, _looked extremely dangerous,_ she thought sizing up the bloody carcass.

To hunt down an animal like this, _must not have been easy,_ she thought as her eyes found Maul's again. Feeling a little awkward under his stare, she quickly tore her gaze away and looked at Savage.

"What's this?" Rey inquired.

"A Rancor." Savage replied. Then he added. "A perfect feast for today's funeral."

Folding her arms over her stomach Rey replied. "Looks dangerous."

"Not to me." Savage replied with a smug face, and then he added. "Next time when we're out again, I'll show you one…. alive."

After they cleaned up the area, they all gathered in the large building again where they prepared the meat for the upcoming feast.

Rey also tried to help. Keeping herself occupied, she was busily cutting up a large piece of meat when she felt someone standing behind her. Stopping for a second, she turned to see Maul standing there with folded arms, and a disapproving look on his face.

"What?" Rey asked with annoyance, holding a bloody knife in her hand.

From head to toe she was covered with gore and blood. There were small and large blood speckles all over her face and neck, _she looks like a pissed off savage princess,_ Maul amusingly thought.

"Put the knife down." Maul ordered. Then he added. "Clean up and then we can go."

With disbelief, Rey stared at him and then she asked.

"Where?" Then she added with slight cynicism. "I didn't see a bathroom in your shack?"

Ignoring the tone of her voice, he said.

"Follow me."

Putting the knife down, she noticed some of the men were curiously watching them, then she reluctantly walked after him. Approaching a small, round building, Maul entered as Rey followed him in.

Inside were several large bins full of clothes and other stuff. There were shoes and boots and smaller weapons of all kinds, just thrown in there. The swirling patterns of colorful textiles amazed Rey. Reaching inside one of the bins, she pulled out a light green shawl.

The texture felt amazingly soft, Rey thought surprised.

"Where did you get all this?" She asked incredibly.

"My brothers like to collect the belongings of the fallen ones." Maul replied.

 _Fallen ones?_ She mouthed his words. _All this belonged to the ones they have killed?_ Rey thought slightly distraught. However, she needed new clothes, and not wanting to press further on this subject, she quickly picked out some clothes and even a pair of dark brown leather ankle boots that surprisingly fit her small feet. She also picked up a small knife with an intricate deer carving on its hilt. _Pretty,_ she thought, as she placed the knife back into its matching sleeve. Then she quickly bundled up everything.

Maul watched, as she placed the knife inside of her little bundle of clothes. With a faint grin, he said.

"A perfect match for you, but I'm afraid you can't keep it."

With hesitation, Rey dropped the knife back into the bin.

"Yes, my Master." She sarcastically murmured.

Ignoring her remark, he walked past her and stepped outside while she followed. Walking across the plaza again, they reached an area behind one of the buildings. Side-by-side, several large metal containers full of water were placed.

Staring at the containers, Rey brows furrowed and when she tried to speak up, he cut her short.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to look."

Rey was shocked. She couldn't believe this was their bathroom. The area was wide open, except on one side, where the building was shielding it from view. Besides the tubs, she didn't see anything else, then she spoke up.

"I'm afraid to ask where you do your other business?"

With a grin, Maul replied.

"Don't worry about that. Undress and wash up."

Saying that, Maul turned his back to her.

She was going to protest but then she changed her mind. Stepping closer to one of the tubs, she looked down to see her bloodied reflection on the surface of the surprisingly clean water.

As she placed her hand into the cool water, a small shudder ran through her. Bathing was not an everyday occurrence on Jakku, but Rey always tried to stay clean, especially around her monthly curse. However, the water felt much warmer on Jakku. She was not looking forward to getting naked and climbing into the tub. However, today was a very special day, and she definitely didn't want to show up looking like this.

Quickly scanning the area to make sure no one was in sight, she swiftly removed her clothes and dropped them next to her new bundle. Then she stepped into the water.

"Oh-oh-oh." Rey exhaled as the cool water touched her skin. Quickly submerging herself, she started to wash up, while her eyes never left Maul's back. She was afraid he was going to turn around, but the most fearful thought was that he was going to leave her there. _Oh, he better not do that!_ Rey thought, while she vigorously rubbed her skin and hair.

Hearing her getting into the tub, Maul closed his eyes and let out a deep breath while he tried not to turn around and look at her. Quickly, he tore his thoughts off her and cleared his mind.

When she was done, the water that once was crystal clear now looked pink and murky. Getting out, swiftly she got dressed. The clothes she picked fit her perfectly. She even liked their deep blue colors as well. _Something new and different,_ she thought with a smile.

Pulling on her new boots, and while quickly hiding the knife in one of them, Rey spoke up. "I'm ready."

Turning to face her, Maul looked at her with amazement. The deep blue fabric looked amazingly different on her.

There was a few seconds of uncomfortable silence between them, when Rey spoke up.

"About last night…uhm…. what happened between…."

He abruptly cut her short.

"Nothing happened."

His quick, cold tone instantly saddened Rey. She thought that what happened between them was something he enjoyed as well. She was certain that the kiss they had shared affected him as much as it had affected her. However, looking at him now, he looked more annoyed than she had ever seen him.

Grazing her lips with her upper teeth, she kept her mouth shut. Then turning around, she picked up her old clothes and walked away from him.

Watching after her, Maul took another deep breath in, and then closing his eyes, he slowly exhaled, while his mind kept bringing back last night's pleasurable events. Cursing himself to be weak and foolish, he vowed that this would never happen again, especially not with her. She was just too dangerous to play with, and Maul didn't want to get burnt.

An hour later, they were all ready to leave. Sitting in front of Maul, Rey was ready to meet her new family. Revving up his speeder, they took off leaving the small village with the others in tow.

While driving through the woods, Rey's thoughts were on the day ahead. She knew they were going to attend a funeral, which she was not looking forward to, but to meet with the Nightsisters and Maul's mother was definitely something she couldn't wait for. _I wonder what they look like?_ She thought with apprehension. _Do they look like me? Is my mother there as well? Am I going to meet her?_ Her conflicted mind was in confusion. She truly hoped they would accept her as their own. If Maul was correct, and she was a daughter of one of them, _they would not turn me away, right?_ Rey thought, hoping for the best.

Maul could sense great waves of confusion and worry coming from her. Her extreme nervousness was getting bothersome. Through the Force, he called to her.

 _You need to calm down._

Hearing his voice in her head, made her feel more nervous and annoyed as well.

 _I am calm._ She bit back, trying to keep her shaking voice in check.

 _I have heard better lies than that before._ Maul said with annoyance. He didn't want to waste time arguing with her. He hated small talk and unnecessary conversations or thoughts. Hers was definitely getting on his nerves now.

Sensing his displeasure, Rey stayed quiet throughout their trip.

As soon as they broke the treeline, Rey saw a bare, wide-open field with a large single mountain. As they got closer, with awe, she noticed there was something carved in the inside of the mountain.

It was a colossal stone fortress adorned with huge stone female figures. With their arms straight above their heads, they were holding a massive stone block fortress. In the middle of the massive stone was a very big female face carved with an open mouth. It looks _eerie and strangely beautiful,_ Rey thought with amazement.

There was no one around. The area looked abandoned and desolated. Stopping, the Nightbrothers got off their speeders and collected their bags.

Before Maul had the chance to grab hold of Rey, she deftly jumped off and swiftly dusted her clothes off.

"Where is everyone?" She asked, her eyes fixating on the stone statues.

Maul took the leather bag out of the speeder, and then started to walk toward the mountain.

"Everyone is inside, as it should be." He replied, as Rey tried to catch up with his quick strides. As they approached the big open mouth, Rey was amazed to see it was an entrance.

* * *

Mother Talzin stood at the edge of the stone altar over Old Daka's body. Looking at the aged, leathery face of her mentor, she had to hold back tears again, as memories of the past flooded her mind. Even though she was not her mother, she always acted like one. Her endless love, strength and power were something that everyone admired and respected. She was a force to reckon with. But now she was gone, and the great responsibility has fallen to next in line. Talzin had been taught and prepared for this day. She looked forward to leading and teaching the new generations of her people. The extensive knowledge she had received from her mentor would help her tremendously in the upcoming events, which she already foreshadowed in her dreams.

However, there was one thing she hadn't seen in those dreams. And that was the young woman, who walked in with her son's and the other Nightbrothers.

Looking up, her light green eyes, landed on Rey, then on Maul, who walked up to the stone altar and bowed his head.

"My son." Mother Talzin spoke up. Her smooth, deep voice bounced off the cave's walls. "Come closer."

Stepping closer, Maul looked into his mother's eyes and said.

"Mother. I am greatly saddened by this grave news." Saying that, his eyes traveled to Old Daka. He watched her in silence for a few seconds, then his attention turned back to his mother again. Opening his leather bag, he took out the books, but left the lightsaber inside.

Taking the books from Maul, a small smile appeared on her face. Then, she spoke up again.

"Thank you my son."

Then, her eyes landed on Rey, as she added. "I knew you would deliver."

Standing in the back with the others Rey felt her piercing gaze. The woman Maul called mother, was intently looking her way. Then she slowly approached her.

Standing in front of Rey, she quickly sized her up, and then her eyes landed on her forearms. Instantly, an excited smile appeared on her stern face.

Rey was astonished. This woman was tall like Savage and extremely unique. Her pale, gray face was marked with black tattoos, just like Maul's, but in a more subtle way. Wearing a deep red dress, with matching headpiece, she looked magnificent and powerful. And not just her, but of the women she had seen on her way in looked peculiar and intimidating. They all wore the same deep red color, just like Mother Talzin. However, their outfits were more revealing than hers. Wearing shorts, their long, muscular legs were wrapped in red thin ribbons, from upper thigh to ankle and some even had their pale, flat stomachs exposed. Their light gray skins were marked the same as Rey's.

Instinctively, Rey touched her stomach. Underneath her blue fabric, she was marked the same way as them. Then, she heard her smooth voice.

"Don't be afraid my sweet girl. Come closer."

Mesmerized by her presence, Rey stepped closer. Then the woman held both of her hands out.

Placing her hands into hers, a warm familiar sensation traveled through Rey. Reminding her of something pleasant from the past.

Touching the girl's hands, Talzin instantly recognized her. Even though her skin color was different from her mother's, she was the spitting image of her. With a small smile, she said.

"Welcome home, Aldereya."

With shock, Rey replied, as she removed her hands.

"You know my name?"

"Of course." Talzin replied with a warm smile, and then she added. "I am extremely glad to see you home, my sweet girl."

Rey was astonished. She felt like she was in a dream, which she didn't want to wake up from, ever. Finally, she had found her family. Finally, she had someone again and this feeling was just overwhelming at the moment. All these years while she was alone, this was the moment she had been waiting for. An extreme feeling of happiness suddenly took over her shaking body. The great emotional turmoil she experienced at the moment was just too much to take.

Burying her face into her trembling hands, she didn't care who was watching her right now, as she cried, while her small shoulders shook with a mixture of sorrow and delight.

"Oh, shhh, my dear." Mother Talzin, softly cooed, slowly embracing Rey. "You are home, and that's all that matters."

Dropping her hands, Rey returned the welcoming hug. The soft fabric of Talzin's dress felt inviting and calming, as Rey buried her face into her chest. Gently caressing Rey's back, Mother Talzin spoke up again.

"I knew your mother. Although she is no longer with us, I am extremely grateful to have you back."

Hearing her words, Rey felt a pang of sharp pain inside her again. Yes, she was home with her family, but her mother, who she had desperately wanted to meet and was looking forward to seeing again, wasn't here.

Looking up into Talzin's face, with a shaking voice, Rey asked.

"Is she dead?"

Calmingly touching Rey's soaked face, she replied.

"I believe so."

Then, she added. "You look like her." But, _those eyes,_ Talzin thought with apprehension, _those eyes belong to her father,_ the father Talzin didn't want to talk about now.

Letting Rey go, Mother Talzin loudly spoke up.

"Today, we are saying goodbye to one of our dearly beloved sisters. However, we are also celebrating the return of our lost daughter, who finally found her way home." Turning around, her eyes landed on Maul, and said. "Thank you my son. You made me happy."

Maul slightly nodded his head then his eyes found Rey's. In her eyes, he saw great happiness, but also there was again that pure innocence, which he was drawn to. Something in her, made him feel uncomfortable inside. He didn't know why he felt that way around her, especially if she was distraught, like she was at this moment. This feeling was bothersome, and he wanted to avoid it, if possible.

Quickly, he tore his gaze away and walking back to his brothers, he took his place beside Savage.

Rey watched, as the other Nightsisters approached her, and then one-by-one they all hugged her. _Their welcoming felt comforting,_ Rey thought while she embraced each and every one of them.

Then, Mother Talzin stepped back and stood at the stone altar again with the rest of the sisters.

After a few seconds of silence, Rey witnessed something extraordinary that she had never witnessed before.

Mother Talzin, with the help of the other sisters started to chant in a foreign language. Rey didn't understand their tongue, but she had heard it before she was certain. As their mystical verses enveloped the cave, a light green mist appeared in the air over Old Daka.

Then the mist grew a darker shade of green, completely engulfing the body. As their chanting got louder, suddenly Rey noticed the body of the old lady slowly lifted from the altar, and was suspended in the air.

Smoothly gliding through the air, the old lady's corpse left the altar and flew toward the glowing green water that Rey found truly fascinating. The water that shimmered with a light green light divided the bottom of the large cave, forming numerous small islands, like the one they were standing on.

With arms still up in the air and chanting, Mother Talzin slowly walked behind the floating body, until she reached the edge of the water.

Then she gently lowered her arms and the body also lowered into the water.

As she watched her mentor's corpse disappearing into the depths of Dathomir, Talzin felt a surge of sadness and relief. She knew Old Daka was in peace now and also at one with the planet. A single tear slid down her taut face and dropped into the water.

Suddenly she had a vision that for a split second left her flabbergasted.

Turning around, her eyes landed on Rey, who stood wide-eyed, and then Maul, whose eyes were fixating on Rey's back. With a smile, Mother Talzin knew what needed to be done.

Later that day on one of the biggest islands, they were all seated at tables, enjoying their meal.

One side of the table was occupied with the men, while the women took the opposite side.

Sitting across from Rey was Savage, while Maul sat at the edge of the table talking with his mother.

With a mouth full of food and between bites, Savage asked her.

"So, how do you like it?"

Swallowing her food, Rey took a sip of her water, and then replied.

"It's chewy, but delicious."

"Rancors are tough, but they can also be very gentle too." Savage replied. Then he added. "The Nightsisters like to ride them….for fun."

Rey's face morphed into a shocking expression. She couldn't believe, how that was possible to do. That animal looked unfriendly and extremely dangerous.

"How is that possible?" She inquired.

"You'll see." Savage replied with a sly grin. Then, placing his large hands on top of the table, he leaned forward. Looking into Rey's eyes, suddenly, to her surprise, she heard his voice in her head.

 _So, what's the deal with you and Maul?_

 _Are you able to talk like this too?_ Rey replied with awe.

 _The Force runs strong in my family._ Savage casually replied. Then he asked again. _So, what's the deal with you and Maul?_

His face looked calm, but his eyes were intently gazing into hers. She felt his intense stare was tremendously intimidating. Nervously looking around, she wondered if the others around them heard their secret conversation. But when no one paid any attention to them, she replied, hoping her quivering voice wouldn't give her sudden uneasiness away.

 _What deal?_

Still gazing into her eyes, he said.

 _I love my brother. I would do anything for him. I would even give my life for him. The only thing I do not want to happening to him, is to get burnt by someone like you._

His words left a sour taste in her mouth. She didn't understand why he was telling her all this. _Did Maul say something to him about the other night?_ Her troubled thoughts were interrupted by one of the Nightsisters.

"I knew your mother as well." She said turning toward Rey. Then the woman glanced at Savage, who turned his attention back to his food and picking up a large piece of meat, bit into it, savoring it with loud chomping sounds.

Quickly shaking her thoughts off Savage, Rey looked into her eyes and excitedly asked.

"Did you? Really?"

"Yes. Her name was Lylea."

 _Lylea,_ Rey tried to bring up the image of her mother. But there was not much to remember and she quickly dismissed these futile thoughts while the Nightsister continued.

"She was a good person, and one of our best fighters." Then her light green eyes turned sorrowful and said. "She had a promising future ahead of her, until he came."

"Who?" Rey asked with anticipation.

"Your father." She replied with slight distaste.

"You….you knew my father too?" Rey asked, feeling her heart accelerating with each second.

"Yes and no." She replied. "I didn't know him well, but I knew of him. I knew who he was and why he came here."

"Is he still here?" Rey asked, hoping to get a satisfying answer.

"No. He left a long time ago and took your mother with him." The woman's face turned sad while her smooth features showed also slight anger as well.

Rey couldn't believe that this woman not only knew her mother, but also her father as well.

"Is he still alive? Do you know?" Rey asked again.

"I don't know. I'm sorry." She replied, and then she added. "If you want to know more about him, you need to ask Mother Talzin."

Saying that, she motioned with her head toward the end of the table, where Mother Talzin sat with Maul. It seemed like they were having a private conversation about something important. Watching them both, Rey noticed Maul kept glancing her way, while his mother talked. Rey wasn't able to hear them, being seated further down the table, but somehow she sensed their conversation was about her.

"Are you sure, mother?" Maul asked again, not believing what she had just told him.

"Yes, my son. She is his daughter. I'm certain." Mother Talzin replied, as she placed her long fingers on Maul's forearm.

"And you want me to…. take her?" He asked with disbelief.

"Yes. I had a vision of you both." His mother replied. "You know, you are just as powerful as her. Even though, she still hasn't grasped the possibilities of her great powers, you, my son, could teach her and guide her."

"What if she finds out who he is?" Maul asked with contempt, looking at the plate in front of him. "Do you think she would go to him?"

"I don't know what she would do, and I really don't want to take the chance, that is why I need you, my son." She replied, as she gently squeezed on his arm. Then, she resumed. "I saw the way you look at her. I know this task that I'm asking of you will not be unsatisfactory."

Maul heard his mother's pleading voice, but his mind was completely somewhere else.

His mind was in the past, on another planet, far far away. A place that he tried to forget, a place that gave him nothing but sorrow and pain. Although it will cost him his freedom, he would sacrifice everything or anything, just to be able to retaliate the wrong doings that had been done to him all these years ago.

Taking a few deep breaths, he glanced toward Rey. He watched her for a few seconds, as she chatted with the woman next to her. Then, looking at his mother, he said.

"I'll do it."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5.**

After the feast, Rey retired to one of the rooms that she temporarily shared with another Nightsister. Lying in bed alone and hugging the covers, she listened to her roommate's shallow, steady breathing, while her thoughts were on Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters. She felt at ease and happy to be able to be here. But on the other hand, she also felt sad. Finding out that her mother was most likely dead and her father might be as well upset Rey. _What am I hoping for anyway?_ Rey asked herself as she shifted on the bed, trying to get comfortable.

Even though, her new bed suited her needs and gave her ample room to sleep, she missed Maul. For the past few weeks, while she shared her bed with him, she grew fond of him. Now thinking back, she indeed missed his warm body and strong arms. Yes, she truly missed that great feeling he gave her when he was around. She didn't want to admit it, not even to herself, but she was longing to have him here with her and longing to have him kiss her again the way he did that night.

Shifting herself on the bed again she looked at the ceiling. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she whispered into the covers. "I'm dreaming and hoping again." Then slowly she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The next day, she was up early. Quickly declining her roommate's breakfast invite, Rey couldn't wait to see Mother Talzin and hear about her parents.

She found her standing at the edge of water, where just the night before, Old Daka's body was laid to rest. As she approached her, without turning around, Mother Talzin spoke up.

"Did you have a good night sleep?"

Standing beside her, Rey's eyes skimmed over the green water, then landed on Talzin.

With a small smile, she replied.

"Yes. Thank you. I did."

"I guess, you have many questions for me. That is why you are here, right?" Mother Talzin said, turning toward Rey.

"Yes. Indeed I do have questions." Rey replied with anticipation.

"Go ahead, my sweet girl." Talzin encouraged her, motioning for Rey to speak up.

Shifting from one foot to the other, Rey's chaotic mind was struggling to ask the first question. She had so many in her head that she was afraid if she let all of them out all at once, Mother Talzin might think ill of her. Also, one of her fears was that she might not be able to answer all of her questions. That made Rey anxious.

Taking a deep breath, and then slowly exhaling, she asked her first question.

"Have we met before?"

"Yes, my love." Talzin replied. "I was there the day you were born."

"Was I born on Dathomir?" Rey asked again.

"Yes." Talzin replied.

"Do you know why my parents threw me away, like garbage?"

Looking at Rey's upset complexion, Mother Talzin gently touched her face, and said. "I think it's easier for both of us, if I just tell you everything you need to know."

Gazing into Rey's worried eyes, Mother Talzin continued.

"Your mother, Lylea, was born and raised here. She was a fierce warrior and a beautiful person. She was like a sister to me. Brave and strong, she was gifted with the power of the Force. She was someone who would do anything to help you if you were in danger, an extremely selfless person."

A small smile appeared on her face as she continued. "I don't know you yet, but I could tell, her strength and power is strong within you."

Listening to Mother Talzin, Rey was extremely happy to hear about her mother. Although, she didn't get the chance to meet her, and still not understanding why she left her behind, she was still glad to hear about the woman, who gave life to her.

"What happened to her?" Rey asked with worry and anticipation.

Turning her attention back to the water, Mother Talzin let out a shaky sigh, and said.

"Your mother was destined to do great things here on Dathomir. She was destined to follow Old Daka's path. With her powers and personality, she was the greatest candidate to lead our people. However, when your father Sheev came here, everything changed."

At the mentioning of her father's name, a great surprise showed on Rey's face.

"Sheev?" She asked with astonishment. "Is that his name?"

"Yes, my love. His name is Sheev Palpatine. However, he stopped using that name a long time ago."

"Is he still alive?" Rey asked with excitement.

"He is." Mother Talzin replied with distaste in her voice.

"Where is he?" Rey asked again tightly clutching her hands in front of her.

Thinking for a second, Mother Talzin wasn't sure if she should tell her where her father is now. But she knew sooner or later Rey would find out anyway. Talzin thought it was better that Rey heard it from her, instead of hearing it from someone else. This opportunity also gave Talzin a chance to fiddle with Rey's newfound feelings for her father. _Yes,_ she thought, _it might be better if she knows everything._

"Your father is none other than our Emperor, Darth Sidious."

"What?" Talzin words left Rey in extreme shock.

"He is one of the most powerful and influential people in this galaxy." Mother Talzin continued. "Twenty one years ago, while he was still in his prime as a Naboo Senator, secretly, he was already forming a new and dangerously powerful entity that eventually took over the Republic and Senate. With time, this new entity became his Empire. The Empire that you and I know as of today."

Talzin noticed Rey was about to speak again, when she quickly motioned her to stay quite.

"When he came here, he wanted Old Daka to give him one of our Nightsisters to become his apprentice. I, myself would have loved to go with him. However, he did not choose me. Instead, he chose your mother. After he took her, he started to train her to become the best possible ally who could help him achieve his evil goal. But one thing he didn't count on was the forbidden attraction that arose between them."

"He fell in love with her?" Rey asked with awe.

"I cannot say it was love. It was more like lust and passion." Mother Talzin replied with a grin.

The words lust and passion made Rey think about the other night in Maul's shack. Quickly dismissing the thoughts of him, she looked at Talzin and was waiting for her to continue.

"You have to know one thing. Your father was already married at the time and much older than your mother. He was a respected Senator and his secret affair would have been disastrous for his reputation and career, if it came to light. When your mother found out she was pregnant with you, she had no choice, but to come back here. Your mother's pregnancy was a great shame to all of us. Old Daka didn't want anyone to know your mother became someone's whore. I was the one who had to hide her away from everyone.

Talzin's words made Rey cringe. It wasn't easy to hear that her mother was a married man's lover. She had never thought that she was a product of a secret affair. This new revelation was upsetting and truly hurtful.

"So, as I was instructed by Old Daka, I kept her away from the others, until you my love were born. The moment I laid eyes on you, I felt your power. I was extremely happy and wanted to tell everyone of your birth. Even Old Daka agreed with me seeing and sensing the pure power and possibilities in you. But our plans were crushed, when a few days after your birth, uninvited, your father showed up and took you and your mother away."

Saying that, a shadow of sorrow passed her taut face.

Then, Rey asked.

"Do you know where he took us?"

"He said, he was going to take you both to the Unknown regions."

"The Unknown regions?" Rey asked incredibly. "Jakku is not in the Unknown regions!" She exclaimed as her eyes looked into Talzin's. Then, she asked. "How did I end up on Jakku? And why did they leave me there?"

Placing her long fingers on Rey's forearm, Mother Talzin gazed into her eyes and said in a flat tone.

"If my informants were correct, after your father took you away, he left you and your mother to fend for yourselves. Do you know how hard and dangerous life is over there?"

When Rey didn't answer, she continued.

"He felt ashamed of you and wanted nothing to do with you or your mother. He wanted you to stay away as far as possible from his growing Empire. If anyone would have found out, he had an illegitimate child with one of our Nightsisters, it would have been a terrible blow to his advancing career."

"Why didn't he just kill me then?" Rey asked with anger, feeling greatly disappointed in the man who fathered her.

"He tried, but he failed. However, unfortunately, this failed attempt possibly caused the death of your mother."

"What do you mean?" Rey asked.

"I believe, to save your life, your mother dropped you off on Jakku, hoping to keep you out of sight, but still close by, if she needed to retrieve you."

"But she never came back for me!" Rey accusingly said, feeling the tears swelling in her eyes.

"That is why I think she is dead, my love." Talzin said. "Knowing her, she would have gone back to get you."

With teary eyes, Rey looked at her and asked.

"Did my father kill her?"

"I believe so." Talzin replied in a flat tone.

An extreme anger bubbled up inside Rey. She felt like if she doesn't calm herself down, she could have punched holes on the side of the cave. Knowing all this made her feel sad and furious. She wanted to lash out at the man who she called her father. She didn't know him. The only thing she heard of him on Jakku was that he was the Emperor and a very powerful person. But she never really paid attention to politics; therefore she didn't care at all. But now having all this knowledge, she definitely didn't want to do anything with him, ever! Secretly, she wished one day their path might cross, and if an opportunity would arise, she could end him, just like he ended her mother's life.

"I have more to say." Mother Talzin spoke up again, watching Rey's bitter expression. "Years later, after your mother's failed apprenticeship, he dared to come back once again to Dathomir to collect another promising apprentice. This time, he took one of the Nightbrothers."

"Who did he take?" Rey asked with great curiosity.

"My son. Maul." Talzin replied.

"Maul?" Rey asked with apprehension. "Why?"

"He was still young when he took him away from me. Letting him go was the hardest thing that had ever happened to me." Talzin said with a sorrowful voice.

"Why would you let him do that?" Rey asked with astonishment. After all that happened, she didn't understand why this woman gave her son to this evil, twisted man.

"If I had refused him, he would have killed all of us, including our Nightbrothers. You see, I couldn't say no to him. Even though I truly wanted to."

Rey was in complete shock to hear this. She couldn't believe the most evil man in the galaxy was her biological father. Now she wished, she never asked about him. This was just too much to hear. He not only used her mother for his lustful desires, but also he took Maul away from his family to do who knows what with him.

Looking into Mother Talzin's saddened eyes, Rey asked.

"What did he do to Maul?"

Letting out a deep sigh, with a saddened expression, Talzin replied

"You don't want to know, my love."

Suddenly, Rey realized why Maul was the way he was. Years of possible abuse by her father most likely made Maul who he is today. Since she met him, she sensed somewhere buried deep within, there was a spark of good inside him still. But knowing that her father also used him, made Rey furious. Clenching her fists, she was slightly shaking with anger now. _How could he do that?_ She was asking herself. _He is a true monster!_

Watching the visibly upset Rey, Mother Talzin smiled on the inside. Now, she was certain Rey would stay with them and hopefully, accept the proposal she was about to offer her. She needed her to stay and become one with her son. With their union, her vision would come true. And that was something she was looking forward to.

Cupping Rey's face, she looked into her eyes and said in a calm tone.

"I had a vision the other night. This vision showed me a great future. The downfall of your father's Empire."

Rey's eyes grew wide, then she asked.

"How?"

Caressing her face, Talzin continued.

"The bond that you are already feeling with my son would grow much stronger after the mating ceremony. Your offspring's would bring great balance to the Force and with time you and Maul would be able to bring down the Empire as well."

 _Mating ceremony? Offspring's?_ Rey asked herself, while her mind was still in shock.

Finding her words, she quickly asked with a suspicious look.

"What do you mean by mating ceremony?"

Placing her hand on Rey's stomach, she said.

"You haven't experienced a man's touch yet, I can tell. But, I can guarantee you, my son would not disappoint you."

From her hand, Rey looked into Talzin's eyes and then back to her hand again. She was astonished about this unusual proposal.

"You want me to marry him?" Rey asked absurdly.

"Yes, my sweet girl. If that is what you want to call it." Talzin replied as she removed her hand.

"Does he know about this?" Rey asked incredibly.

"Yes. He knows." Talzin replied with a smile.

"And...he said….yes?" Rey asked, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Of course my love. Why would he want to turn you down?" Talzin replied, while her eyes appraised her small form, then she added. "You would be an unstoppable and powerful couple. No one would stand in your way."

Rey's mind was swirling with all kinds of thoughts. This was something she definitely didn't expect to hear. When she came to see Mother Talzin, she was hoping to hear about her parents. But after hearing everything and also this proposal, suddenly, she felt lightheaded and needed to sit down.

Walking her to the nearest table, Mother Talzin sat her down and asked one of the Nightsisters to bring a cup of water for Rey.

Taking a few sips of water, Rey cleared her throat and asked.

"What if I say no?"

"Is that what you really want?" Talzin asked looking into Rey's confused eyes.

Rey wasn't sure what she really wanted. Truly, she wanted to run away and hide from all this, but she knew that would have been wrong and cowardly. If Mother Talzin's vision was right, and if she and Maul could bring down her father's Empire, then this proposal was not as bad as she thought.

If she could have her revenge, not just for the wrongdoings that were done to her mother, but for her death as well, this _would be worth every second,_ Rey thought with determination.

Then she spoke up.

"How is this mating ritual done?"

Mother Talzin's eyes lit up with glee and then she said.

"It's done in a very traditional Dathomirian way. I would make preparations in advance. The only thing you need to worry about is to enjoy it. Everything else would be irrelevant."

Then she added. "Until then, you and Maul can spend some time together to get to know each other a little better. Of course his brother, Savage would accompany you both. He is my son and a trustworthy person. I am sure he will be great company for both of you."

Stepping away from the table, she turned around and said to the still amazed Rey.

"The ceremony will be held two weeks from now. I am truly looking forward to it. I hope you feel the same."

With that, she walked away, leaving the confused Rey alone.

A few days later, in the wee hours of the morning Rey heard a loud knock on her door. Opening her eyes, she looked at the empty bed against the opposite wall, then her eyes landed on the door. For days now, she was left alone, and Rey was glad that she didn't have to share the room with anyone.

Rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes, and stretching her slender body, she slowly got up, and walked to the door.

As she opened the door, her tired eyes landed on Savage. Lazily leaning against the wall, Savage looked at Rey and said with a grin.

"Wakey-wakey. It's time for us to go for a fun ride."

"Do you even realize what time is it?" Rey asked accusingly.

"It's time to go time." Savage replied with a grin, and then he motioned Rey to get ready.

Closing the door on him, and taking her time, she dressed, thinking about where Savage was going to take her.

It was still dark and cold outside, when they approached his speeder.

"Where are you taking me?" Rey asked with apprehension.

Sitting down on his speeder, he patted the small seat behind him and said. "Hop on and stop asking questions. It's too early for that for me."

 _Too early?_ Rey thought with amazement. Rolling her eyes, she took her seat behind him. While holding onto his thick waist, he revved up his speeder and took off toward the mountains.

Leaving the bare terrain behind, and after a thirty minutes ride, they arrived at the foot of one of the mountains.

Stopping the bike, they got off and started to walk toward a narrow stone staircase that was carved into the side of the mountain.

"Where are we going?" Rey asked again, not understanding what was going on.

"Up." Savage replied, walking past her heading up the stairs.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, Rey reluctantly followed him. These Zabraks were _not the friendliest beings,_ she thought with disheartenment as she took the stairs one-by-one.

The further they walked up; Rey noticed the air became lighter and cleaner. Holding onto the rough stonewalls of the mountain; she kept her eyes ahead, not wanting to look down.

This was the first time, she had been up high like this and a sudden wave of anxiety took a hold of her. Fearing to look elsewhere, she kept her eyes on the wide back of Savage, as he casually took the stairs.

After a few minutes of ascending, they reached a flat landing with an extraordinary view.

In the far distance, the dark sky became a lighter shade of gray, with a thin streak of orange, signaling the upcoming sunrise.

It was _breathtaking,_ Rey thought astonishingly. Then she heard something. First she didn't know what made that sound, then as they walked around a large boulder, another landing came into view and that is when she saw him.

With a long staff, similar to what she used to have, Maul was practicing his extremely unique fighting skills a few yards away from them.

His shirtless upper body was glistening with sweat as he twisted and turned with a fluid motion. Rey watched with awe, as he did a couple of back flips, and then smoothly landing on his feet, he thrusted the staff out in front of him. Then, spinning it above his head and letting it go, he suddenly flipped his whole body sideways, while the staff was still spinning in the air. As he hit the ground, with great skill, he caught the staff and looked their way.

 _He definitely toyed with me,_ Rey thought with unease, thinking back on their fight in the forest.

As he approached them, Rey couldn't take her eyes off of his muscular body. Quickly reprimanding herself, she tore her eyes off him. Nervously, she looked at the ground in front of her boots.

"Morning brother." Savage spoke up. Then to Rey's surprise he added. "She is here and ready for you."

Instantly, Rey's eyes shot to Savage's smug face. Furrowing her eyebrows, she asked.

"Ready for what?"

Crossing his large arms in front, Savage replied with a sly grin. "For your morning practice of course."

"My morning….what?" Rey asked incredibly.

"Maul told me, you fought him before. I thought that was a very brave thing to do from someone like you." With a wide grin, he added. "Come on...go on… don't be shy."

Rey just looked at him with utter disbelief. Then, her eyes landed on Maul, who was waiting on her.

Beckoning her to come closer, Rey approached him. There was another staff just like his leaned against one of the boulders. Extending his left arm, the staff silently flew into his open palm. Handing the staff to Rey, he asked.

"Have you used this type of weapon before?"

"Yes, I have." Rey replied staring into his eyes. Swallowing hard, she took the staff out of his hand and held it tight.

"Follow me." Maul said, walking back to the place Rey had seen him practicing.

With horror she realized, there was a deep chasm, right next to the flat edge of the landing. One wrong step and she would fall to her death.

"Don't fear it Rey." Maul said watching her fearful expression. "Embrace it. Feel it. Taste it. That is the power of the Force. It flows through you, around you. Let yourself go and you could be one with it. If you hold onto your fear of failure, you would lose and die. Remember that."

Hearing his calm voice gave Rey a fluttery feeling inside her stomach. Looking into his eyes, she said.

"I can do this."

"Very well then." Maul said with a sly grin. Then he added. "First, we have to establish a mutual trust between us. You have to trust me the same way I have to trust you. Are you ready for your first lesson?"

Rey's heart was beating so fast, she thought it was going to burst through her chest at any moment. Nodding her head in agreement, she was wondering what kind of lesson he was talking about.

"Stand here and close your eyes." Maul said, pointing to the edge of the abyss. Hesitantly, Rey stepped to the edge and looked down into an endless darkness.

"Close your eyes." Maul voice was heard behind her. Taking a deep breath, Rey closed her eyes and felt Maul stepping closer to her. She was sure he didn't want her to come here today just to get hurt. Trying to relax her shoulders, she took a couple of shallow breaths and then she heard him again.

"Now, jump."

Rey's eyes flew open and she was about to protest, when he spoke up again.

"I said jump."

For a second, Rey wanted to turn around and tell him that he was crazy and out of his mind, but then she thought otherwise. If they were destined to be together, as Mother Talzin had foreseen, then today was definitely not the day when she was going to die.

Putting the staff down, she closed her eyes again. Slowly shuffling closer to the ledge, Rey felt her whole body tensed up. She thought she was about to pass out from utter fear.

Then in an instant, she felt herself falling fast. Before she could even utter a scream, she suddenly stopped falling. As she opened her eyes, she realized she was levitating in the air above the darkness. Looking up, she saw Maul with outstretched arms, standing on the ledge looking down on her.

His breathing was deep and even as he concentrated on the Force. Then, slowly, he started to lift her back up. Pulling her closer, Rey could see now, it took him tremendous effort just to keep her levitated. Placing her on the ground in front of him, he asked with exhaustion.

"Do you trust me now?"

Nodding her head, she replied.

"Yes. I do."

"Now I have to see if I am able to trust you as well." Maul said stepping closer to her.

Looking into his eyes, Rey felt confused.

"I…" She started. "I won't be able to do…. what you just did."

"I'm not asking you to do that." He replied. "At least not now."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Rey asked with apprehension.

"I want you to look me in the eye and promise me you would never turn your back on me, no matter what happens, we will stay together." Saying that, Maul grabbed hold of her arms, and pulled her closer. "And if you lie, I will know."

His intense gaze was penetrating into hers, while his face was only inches from hers. But instead of saying her promise in an old fashion way, she gently grabbed hold of his face and pressed her lips to his. As she deepened their kiss, he heard her soft voice in his head.

 _I promise you._

Then breaking the kiss, she stepped back while her face flushed with excitement. Coyly smiling at him, she said.

"I'm ready for my next lesson."

This unexpected gesture took Maul by surprise. A slight confusion took over him. While her sweet kiss was still lingering on his lips, he quickly composed himself and said.

"Alright. Lesson number two." Saying that he swiftly swept her foot out under her, making her fall on her bottom. Then he added with a slight grin. "Never trust your opponents. Be alert at all times. Never underestimate your enemies."

Sitting on the ground, Rey felt betrayed and pissed off. _If that is how we're going to play this game, so be it!_ She thought with anger.

Quickly she jumped up and spun in the air, connecting her foot with his midsection. Making Maul falter back a few steps.

"I'm a fast learner." Rey teased as she force grabbed one of the staffs and took on a fighter's stance, ready for him.

"Then this more fun for me." Maul growled, force grabbing the other staff.

Instantly their weapons collided. Their loud smacking sounds echoed through the tall mountains.

Leaning against one of the boulders, Savage watched them fight. Every time Rey managed to land her staff on Maul's exposed skin, with an amused smile Savage grinned, thinking about how these two would get along in the long run. Somehow, he had a good feeling about them. He even caught his brother smile once. That was something Maul rarely did, but today he looked happy and that made Savage happy as well.

The sun was already up, when they finally stopped. Breathing hard and fast, Rey crumbled to the ground while large beads of sweat ran down her face and neck. Looking at Maul, he seemed in a _much better condition than her,_ she thought sourly. _I definitely have a lot more to learn,_ she thought watching him talking with Savage.

Putting his shirt back on, he walked back to Rey and pulled her off the ground.

"Savage wants you to see something." Maul said.

Taking a different direction, they slowly and carefully descended on the side of the mountain. Half way down, they stopped. In the deep, wide valley down below was something Rey had never seen before. Or at least not alive. There was a large herd of Rancor's roaming, searching for food. Rey was amazed by their size and the sound they made was truly frightening to her ears. Some were larger than others. She even caught a glimpse of their babies that were already a few heads taller than Savage.

"Oh Maker." Rey exclaimed grabbing the rock in front of her. Turning to Savage she asked with amazement.

"And you said the Nightsisters were riding one of these for fun?"

"Indeed I did." Savage replied, then he added. "I don't do fun rides. I just like to hunt them and eat them."

Maul didn't pay any attention to the herd. His eyes were focusing on Rey. While she talked with Savage, he watched the way her hands moved as she smiled. Then the way her face became serious, and the way she laughed. He slowly but surely recognized him in her. These tiny gestures of hers were a telltale sign of where she came from. Even her fighting style reminded Maul of him. _Yes,_ he thought disheartened, the part of his old Master was living within her. _My mother was right,_ he thought sourly. _She is his daughter._

It was late in the afternoon when they returned to the Nightsisters.

This time, Rey traveled with Maul on his speeder. Sitting in front of him, Rey felt a strange desire to press her body into his and lean her head against his, while the cool wind blew against her flushed skin.

Feeling her body tightly pressed against his and feeling her soft hair on his lips, made Maul think of what will happen in a few weeks during the ritual. He was certain she was still a virgin and that thought made him somehow excited. The women he encountered in his past were mostly whores. Their lustful embrace was nothing but a calculated desire to have Maul for themselves even for just a night. Not once did he care to ask them about his performance, or at least no one complained, as far as he knew. However, with Rey, it would be different and he sensed that.

Their short but passionate kiss inside his shack left his thoughts in turmoil. Suddenly, he started to doubt himself. He wanted to make sure she would be satisfied, and to do that, he had no choice but to perform a different kind of approach that he never used on the other women before. With a sly smile, he already knew what he needed to do.

That night lying in bed, Rey started to think about the days ahead. She felt like there was a swarm of butterflies living in her stomach. Every time she thought about her parents, especially her father, she felt not just rage, but also nervousness as well. Knowing whom her father was, made Rey want to get up and leave and go to him and confront him. But she knew that was futile. _It's better if he never finds out that I'm still alive,_ she thought as she shifted on the bed. _Yes, it's better that way,_ she reassured herself.

While her troubled thoughts dissipated, new and more interesting thoughts flooded her mind. The thoughts of the upcoming ritual gave Rey a mixture of pleasant and anxious feelings. Having no experience at all, she was fairly nervous about what would happen that day. She knew how others did it, even witnessing one by accident, but she never experienced it herself. Rey always wondered how it would be, especially her first time, but for the love of Force, she would have never imagined it would be with someone like Maul.

Instinctively clenching her thighs together, she felt a warm sensation rushing through her body thinking about him being on top of her again. But this time without clothes and more intimate than before. That sweet, forbidden thought gave her a small pleasurable shudder as she tightly clutched her covers.

As the days went by, Rey felt more at home with the Nightsisters during this short time, than she had ever felt in her life on Jakku. On some days, she just loved to watch them practice their fights. Some used bows and arrows, while others used swords and lances. Their small, family oriented community was something Rey loved about this place. She was part of their family as much as they were part of hers. Feeling more confident about her markings, she even tried on a few of their outfits to match with the rest of the sisters.

When Maul came to collect her for their daily practice and seeing her wearing a new, revealing outfit, for a second, he felt speechless. _Red really suits her,_ he thought amusingly as he tried to keep his eyes in level with hers.

Rey even helped Savage to fix his speeder when he broke down in the middle of one of his hunts. He was truly surprised and impressed about her mechanical knowledge. And Rey was happy to help him. She grew fond of him and looked at him like he was the brother she never had.

Finally, in the first time in her life, Rey was happy and content. She felt she had found her true home and that was something she would never give up, not even if she was forced to.

On the morning of the mating ritual, Rey woke up feeling extremely nervous. She still had no idea how this ritual was done. Even though she's been asking about it, she never received the answer she was looking for. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. When she opened it, she saw two Nightsisters waiting outside with a small basket full of toiletries and towels in their hands.

"Come with us." One of them spoke up. With a smile, she gestured Rey to come outside.

They led her to the back of the cave, where the sisters took their daily baths. After a few minutes of washing and scrubbing, Rey realized, they were preparing her for the evening's event. She didn't mind to be pampered, not a bit, as their hands deftly cleaned her slender body off. However, there was one thing she found extremely odd and even though she tired to protest against it, they assured her, this was the proper way to represent herself in front of her mate. Eventually, she let them get away with it as they kept on with their grooming.

When they were done, they put a red silk, sleeveless dress on Rey that reached all the way to her ankles. Wearing nothing underneath her dress, Rey felt exposed and fairly uncomfortable. Then, she was escorted back into her room, where Mother Talzin was waiting on her.

There was a tray of fresh food on the table and also a suspicious drink that glowed green as Rey looked into the cup.

"What's this?" Rey asked pointing to the drink.

"We call it Ichor." Talzin replied, motioning Rey to drink it.

"What does it do?" Rey asked with apprehension.

"It will dull your senses a bit. When the time comes, it will help you cope with pain." Mother Talzin said in a flat tone.

"Pain?" Rey asked with worry. "Am I going to get hurt?"

"No female that I have ever known truly enjoyed their first coupling. However, it all depends on your partner. But if I were you, I would take it to make you feel more, hmmm…satisfied."

Quickly, Rey grabbed hold of the cup and drank the green liquid in one big gulp. Feeling the cool, sweet liquid running down her throat, made Rey feel energized, then after a few seconds, she felt completely relaxed.

Placing her long fingers on Rey's arm, Talzin said in a smooth voice.

"I'll see you shortly my love. Enjoy your day."

When Talzin left the room, Rey sat on her bed, and then lying back on the covers, she closed her eyes and started to giggle as the magic potion took a hold of her body. She was ready for anything that evening may bring.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

Someone was calling her name. _Am I dreaming?_ Rey asked herself, as she slowly turned around and found herself face to face with one of the Nightsisters. The one who just hours before helped her get cleaned and trimmed.

"Hey you." She said with a sly smile. "Time to get ready."

Pushing herself up, Rey looked around and noticed there was another Nightsister in the room with them. Feeling strangely calm, she wiped the sleepiness out of her eyes and slowly stretched, while both women curiously watched her.

"Are you okay?" The Nightsister asked as she motioned for the other one to come closer.

"Yes, I feel good." Rey snickered, and then she added. "I feel really good."

Holding two small ceramic bowls in each hand, the woman approached her. One jar was white the other was black. Kneeling in front of Rey, first she opened the black one. Inside was a black shiny substance that looked like _paint,_ Rey curiously observed.

"What is that?" She asked watching the woman placing her fingers into the jar.

"Don't worry, its just paint." The woman replied, as she motioned Rey to lean forward. "Close your eyes." She said.

With a few quick strokes, she skillfully smeared the paint around Rey's eyes and eyebrows. The touch of her fingers felt _calming and strangely pleasant,_ Rey thought, as she quickly smoothed out the rest of the paint.

"You can open them now." The other woman said.

Opening her eyes, Rey looked at the one kneeling in front of her. Closing the black jar, she opened the white one and said.

"This balm will make you truly desired in the eye of a Zabrak male."

"What do you mean?" Rey asked, while eyeing the white lotion.

"This is an aphrodisiac lotion. His senses will guide him to it." The woman said with a mischievous smile.

"Where does it go?" Rey asked with slight apprehension. Somehow she sensed this lotion would not be smeared anywhere around her face.

"Open your legs." The woman asked, placing her hands on Rey's knees. For a second, Rey confusingly stared into the woman's eyes. Then she looked at the other one, who stood there arms folded with a satisfied look on her face.

"Don't worry." The woman assured her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Hesitantly, Rey spread her legs apart, letting the women slide her hand beneath her dress. As her soft fingers brushed against Rey's inner thighs and sex, she involuntarily let out a pleasurable moan. Quickly, she smeared the white balm on Rey and removing her hand, she wiped it with a cloth and stood up.

"You're all set." The other woman said.

Holding her hand out, she pulled Rey off the bed. The lotion beneath her dress felt unusual, as Rey walked out the room with the other two. _I wonder what it does?_ She thought, as they made their way outside.

Stepping out of the cave, Rey was amazed to see it was almost dark. _How long did I sleep?"_ ' She thought with awe, then her stomach started to growl a little. _I even forgot to eat._ Rey sourly thought, as they approached the training ground.

Brightly lit, the training ground looked mesmerizing from the many torches set in a wide circle around a stone table. A large, deep crimson cloth was covering the table.

To Rey's astonishment, all the Nightsisters, including Mother Talzin were standing there, patiently waiting for her. Quickly looking around, Rey also noticed many Zabraks as well, standing around, intensely gazing at her. Amongst them was Savage, whose usually stern face looked softer in the orange glow of the torches. A small grin appeared on his face, then his eyes landed on his mother, who beckoned Rey to come closer.

Stepping closer, Rey stood at the stone table and worriedly looked at Mother Talzin.

"The time has come." Mother Talzin spoke up. "Tonight, you'll become one with your mate. You will be his and he will be yours, until the end of time. Your body and soul will be one and bonded by the Force." Then she added as she placed her hands on Rey's arms. "Are you ready to make this commitment?"

Nodding her head, Rey tried to smile, and say yes, but the extreme nervousness she felt at the moment left her utterly speechless and anxious.

"Stand here." Mother Talzin asked, gesturing Rey to stand in front of the table.

Stepping closer to the table, Rey's eyes landed on the soft, red cover anxiously thinking about what would happen very soon on its surface. However, that wasn't the most troubling thought that came to her mind. Slowly turning around, she noticed everyone was still there, watching her. _They're not leaving,_ Rey thought with despair.

The pleasant calmness she felt earlier instantly disappeared. Feeling confused and nervous, Rey swiftly scanned the crowd, while her hands tightly clutched the side of her dress. Not seeing Maul anywhere, she was about to ask, when suddenly everyone stepped away from her and stood at the edge of the training ground, forming a wide circle.

Spears in hand, all Nightsisters in unison stomped the end of their weapons on the ground, while one of them started to sing in their foreign language. Her strong, unique voice loudly drifted through the cool air, bringing forth millions of tiny goosebumps on Rey's flushed skin.

As she sang, some of the Nightbrothers joined in, beating a deep, steady rhythm with their drums. Their strange, primitive music gave Rey the shivers. This moment felt not like a mating ceremony, but more like a _sacrifice,_ she thought with worry.

Then she saw him. Approaching them, Maul walked into the training ground and stood there with a long spear in his hand, wearing nothing, but a pair of black pants, showing off his perfectly chiseled upper body.

While spinning the spear, he simply did a variety of acrobatic kicks and spins. Then, smoothly landing on the ground, he stood ready with a fighter stance, waiting on something.

After a few seconds, Rey noticed eight of his brothers approaching him. They slowly circled Maul, holding spears and other types of weapons in their hands. Then in unison, they all attacked him.

Maul skillfully evaded the attacks, as one-by-one, his brothers challenged him. Suddenly, the music intensified and while Maul fought his brothers, Rey couldn't tear her eyes away from him. As she watched them a sudden uneasiness enveloped her mind. She didn't understand why they were doing this. Some of the hard blows that found naked flesh, sounded harsh to her ears. She noticed Maul had received a few of those himself. However, she did not see him using his Force abilities with any of them. Their fight looked genuine, giving Rey an anxious feeling inside.

After a few minutes of fighting, one-by-one, Maul successfully defeated his brothers. As they lay beaten on the ground around him, with his chest heaving, he stepped closer, while the sounds of drums halted to a low thrumming sound.

Throwing the spear to the ground, his deep yellow eyes hungrily gazed at Rey. Under his intense stare, she felt her body starting to shake from the excitement and anticipation she was feeling at that moment.

Standing in front of Rey, and as his breathing started to slow down; he slowly reached up and touched the straps of her dress. With a sudden move, he ripped the dress off, exposing Rey for everyone to see.

Rey was left flabbergasted, as she stood naked in front of Maul and everyone else. Instinctively, with one hand she covered up her freshly groomed private parts, while the other hand protectively covered her small, rounded breasts.

With frightened eyes, she looked into Maul's face, whose golden eyes quickly sized her up. With a sly grin, he gently removed her hands, and then she heard his voice in her head.

 _I want to see you._

Rendering her hands to her sides, Rey felt her face flush with embarrassment. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought it was going to burst through her ribcage. Then his eyes landed on her chest that was moving up and down with each shallow breath she took.

Lightly touching one of her breasts, he gently rolled the hardened pink nipple between his forefinger and thumb, making Rey shudder with pleasure.

With a swift move, he grabbed her by the waist and placed her seated on top of the table. Rey's surprised eyes locked into his burning gaze. Then her eyes landed on his wide chest, then on his hard abs. As her eyes ventured further down, she noticed the front of his trousers were significantly bulging out. _He is already excited, s_ he thought with astonishment.

Squatting down in front of her, he pulled a small ceramic jar, similar to the one the Nightsister used, from under the table. Opening it, he dipped two of his fingers inside and pulled out a clear, moist substance. Slowly rubbing it between his palms, he grabbed one of her legs and gently, he started to massage the ointment into her skin.

From his touches, Rey slowly started to relax again. This unexpected gesture felt _really good,_ she thought while she closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm sensation he gave her.

While Rey's eyes were closed, Maul intently watched her face, as he kept massaging her leg. She looked _beautiful,_ he thought, seeing the dancing flames reflecting on her elated visage. Feeling her shapely calf muscles beneath his fingers gave Maul great pleasure. Then, he dipped his finger in the jar again, and started to massage her other leg, while his eyes landed on her upper thighs and flat stomach. Her markings were more prominent in those areas. To Maul, they looked enticing and he wanted nothing more but to touch and feel them.

Slowly, his hands traveled up her legs. Reaching her sculpted thighs, first gently then more forcefully he kept on with his massaging. These slight indentations _felt good to touch,_ Maul thought with delight, while he gently spread her legs apart.

Rey felt completely relaxed and at ease under his touch. Tuning out everyone around them, slowly, she laid back, feeling the soft fabric underneath her naked body. Once again, the drums started up with their slow, steady, deep rhythm. Then, more of the Nightsisters joined in with their unique singing. Rey felt so lost into the music and sensations, that she didn't even notice when Maul's mouth came down on the soft skin of her inner thigh.

Holding onto her hips, with small, pleasurable bites and kisses, inch-by-inch, he advanced closer to the juncture of her thighs, where her skin glistened with the aroma of pure pleasure.

As his mouth came down on her sex, Rey's eyes fluttered open. Instantly, a deep pleasurable moan escaped her mouth. Feeling his kisses and tongue on her sweet spot gave Rey an extraordinary sensation that she had never felt before. This new experience was something out of the ordinary. Slightly arching her hips up, she wanted to feel more of his touches, while his tongue expertly and tortuously teased her.

She tasted like pure ecstasy. Feeling her great arousal beneath his tongue, Maul knew she was ready to be taken soon. Propping himself above her, and inserting one of his digits, he slowly started to move his hand as her body squirmed under his with great pleasure. To see her like this was _so different,_ Maul thought with awe, watching her euphoric expression.

His aching groin was making it harder for him to stay in his trousers now. Retracting, he straightened up and swiftly removed his clothes.

Propping herself up, Rey took a sharp intake of breath seeing his manhood for the first time. It was strange to see something like that. Its deep red color was identical to the color of the cloth she was lying on.

Grabbing her by the waist, he placed himself between her thighs and leaned forward. Feeling his length against her tender skin made Rey shiver with trepidation. Sensing her fear, he spoke to her through their connection again.

 _Relax. I'm not going to hurt you. Trust me._

Hearing his calm voice relaxed Rey a little. Placing her head back on the table, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation he gave her as he gently rubbed her swollen bud with his thumb. Then, he slowly inched himself between her sensitive folds.

Feeling him at her entrance, instinctively Rey tried to move away from him, but he held her steady and said with a low growl.

"Trust me."

Gradually, he immersed himself within her. The sensation she gave him was extraordinary. The tightness of her body made Maul completely lose control. Slowly moving his hips, his eyes locked onto hers. There was a mixture of fear, surprise and also pleasure in her wide eyes.

As his length completely filled her, Rey's stomach muscles instantly tightened sensing a foreign object within her body. This sensation was remarkably painful, but it was also pleasurable. Steadily and rhythmically moving himself in and out of her, while his finger was still playing with her, she felt tiny waves of bliss traveling from the top of her head down to her toes. Then this tiny bliss of waves became bigger and more powerful as her breathing grew ragged and harder now. Moaning loudly, she tightly wrapped her fingers around the cloth, clutching the soft material.

Feeling her muscles tightening around him, Maul gazed into her eyes only to see pure pleasure and extreme desire in them.

Quickly, before he reached his climax, with a low grunt, he swiftly pulled himself out and placed himself on top of her sex, not wanting to end this too quickly. _She is close, but not close enough,_ he thought with despair, while his manhood ached with delightful pain.

Rey felt slightly disappointed feeling his body abruptly leaving hers. But then, sensing his manhood rubbing against her already sensitive bud, gave her an indescribable feeling of great satisfaction. Looking into his eyes, Rey noticed his worrisome crimson face, as he tried to steady himself, while she rapidly approached her orgasm.

Right before she reached that amazing feeling, he quickly emerged himself within her once more. Quickening up his pace, he forcefully pressed his mouth onto her lips, quieting her pleasurable moans with his demanding kiss.

As soon as his tongue found hers, Rey felt her body burning up with great fire as she reached her peak. The amazing sensation that swept over her, left deep, raw crevices on Maul's back. Breaking their kiss and gazing into her elated face, a deep, low animalistic growl left Maul's mouth as he came undone. In that moment, he looked like a _completely different person,_ Rey thought with amazement, watching his satisfied expression.

Then he heard her in his head.

 _I will always trust you._

A thin smile appeared on his face, and then pulling her closer, he kissed her again, while their bodies were still connected.

Standing amongst the others, Mother Talzin's eyes were glowing with satisfaction. The vision she had seen already started. With a satisfied smile, she turned around and walked away. Then everyone followed her.

While Maul was still on top of her, Rey opened her eyes and looked to see there was no one around. Everyone was gone.

Savoring her warmth beneath his body, Maul slowly propped himself on his elbows, and looked into her eyes. With a mischievous smile, and lightly touching one of his horns, she said.

"May I have my weapon back now?"

"Yes, you may have it back." Maul replied. Then running his fingers through her hair, he said.

"You changed your hairstyle. Why?"

"My hair represented my family." She said, and then she added. "I know it might sound strange to you, but the three little buns symbolized me, my mother and my father. Even though they were never around, I always thought of them. But after finding out some disturbing things about them, I decided to let go of the past, so I can enjoy my future." Saying that, she gently traced one of his tattoos on his face.

Then her face changed and became more serious, and then she asked.

"What did my father do to you?"

Somehow Maul knew she was going to ask a question like that. Removing himself, he laid down beside her. Looking at the dark sky, he said in a solemn voice.

"One day I will tell you. But today is not the day I want to talk about it."

Feeling a little cold, Rey pressed her body against his and said.

"It might be better if I do not know." Then she added. "Did you know that everyone was going to stand by while we were doing it?"

"Yes. Of course." He casually replied.

"And it didn't bother you at all?" She asked gazing into his blank face.

"Not a bit." He replied. Looking into her eyes, he added. "You seemed like you were in your element too."

Feeling the redness creeping up her neck, Rey replied.

"Uhm…. yes...I did not have a choice, did I?"

"You always have a choice." He replied, and then turning sideways, he looked at her and said. "You see if you were Jedi, which thankfully you are not, this would have never happened to you."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked searching his face.

"The Jedi teaches celibacy and other disturbing things. With time and more knowledge, you will find out. They don't believe in passion, emotions or rage. Which is a natural element to everyone. They foolishly deny these elements and unnaturally embrace something else. I know for sure, their one sided teachings led some of them down on the other path, real quick."

"You mean the path you walk on?" Rey asked, hoping to get a better understanding of his reasoning when it came to use the Force. In the past month, while she spent her time with him, she realized, he was not one of the good guys. However, his way of thinking and teachings truly fascinated Rey.

She only knew one older Jedi before, and that experience was a great disappointment for her. So, when Maul took her under his wings, she greatly immersed herself in his teachings, and felt sincerely alive. Even though, her knowledge of the Force was not comparable to his, he still managed to teach her plenty. And she respected and even loved him for it.

"The path I walk would lead me to my destiny." He said, gently grabbing her and pulling her closer. Whispering in her ear, he said in a serious tone.

"Turn around."

"Why?" She asked, pulling up one of her eyebrows.

"Why do you always have to ask so many questions?" Maul replied with amusement.

Shrugging her shoulders, she slowly turned around and faced away from him. Placing his body against hers, she felt his great excitement pressing down hard just at her backside. Sliding his hand over her taut stomach, he gently started to rub her sex, as the pleasure she had felt before, returned with full force. When her blissful moans grew louder, and while nibbling at her shoulder and neck, he lifted her leg up and slowly entered her.

Moving with a perfect rhythm, they enjoyed each other, while the sky grew darker and the first star of the night shined brightly within the vastness of space.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7.**

The cool early morning breeze gently caressed Rey's face as she slowly opened her eyes. It was still dark, but she could tell the sun was about to emerge on the far horizon behind the tall mountains. Sitting up, she looked around to see a mystical red mist covering the grounds around them. The transparent crimson mist swirled above the ground. Then, as the breeze picked up, it was swept away, disappearing into thin air.

From the ground, Rey's eyes landed on the sleeping Maul. She loved to watch him like this. He looked peaceful and _even cute,_ she thought, shifting her body toward him. Lifting up her hand, she gently traced his tattoos on his arm. She never asked him but wondered why his people tattoo themselves the way they did.

From his chest, her eyes landed on the rest of his body, where the swirling patterns of tattoos continued all the way to his toes. Last night was the first time she had seen him without clothes, and she thought his body was truly remarkable. Thinking about the things he had done to her the night before, gave Rey a small, pleasurable shiver.

Then as she shifted her body some more, she felt something sticky between her thighs. Looking down and opening her legs, she saw dried blood mixed with a white substance smeared on her inner thighs and sex. Instantly, her face turned into a frown. _Great,_ she thought, _my monthly curse is back again._ Touching the sticky substance made her wonder what it was.

As she shifted her body some more, she heard his voice.

"Stop fidgeting, would you?"

"Are you awake?" Rey asked with surprise.

Opening his eyes, he looked at Rey and said. "I've been awake for a while." Then his eyes landed on her hand and asked.

"What are you doing?"

Feeling a little embarrassed, Rey quickly placed her hand behind her back and instantly clenched her thighs together. She hoped he wouldn't see her bleeding. This is _extremely uncomfortable,_ she thought with despair.

Tracing the contour of her slender figure with his eyes, he sat up and asked.

"What's in your hand?"

"Nothing." Rey quickly replied, trying to suppress her awkwardness.

"I told you before, I've heard better lies than that." He growled. Then in an instant, he grabbed hold of her hand and pulled it in front of his face.

From her blood spotted hand, he looked into her eyes and he was about to say something, when she quickly cut in.

"I'm bleeding."

Letting her hand go and with a grin, he replied.

"I know you are."

"How do you know?" She asked with slight confusion.

"You're no longer a virgin, that's how I know." He said matter of factly. Then leaning back, he placed his muscular arms under his head and looked at the sky that turned into a lighter shade of gray now. Then he added.

"Don't worry. Next time you won't bleed."

Rey was a little surprised about his answer. So, if she didn't get her monthly curse, _then why she was bleeding?_ She didn't understand. _And what did he mean by saying next time she wouldn't bleed?_ Feeling the awkwardness of the situation, she wanted to ask him about it, but in the last second she thought otherwise. _I don't want to look ignorant and stupid in front of him,_ she thought with despondently. Her knowledge about these types of things was equal to zero and she hoped when they get back to Mother Talzin, she could ask her or one of the Nightsisters about it. Then she heard him again.

"We have to get back to my mother. I know she has something for us."

"What is that?" Rey asked.

Turning his head, he gazed into her eyes and said.

"The Jedi books."

In the past month, while she was enjoying her new life on Dathomir, Rey completely forgot about the books. And now as he mentioned them, a sudden memory came to mind. Quickly dismissing these bothersome thoughts, she asked.

"What is she doing with them?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out very soon." Maul replied. Then getting up, he went and picked up his trousers. Pulling them on, he looked at Rey and said.

"Lets go."

With disbelief, she looked at him and said with an accusing tone. "You ripped my dress. I have nothing to wear. How am I supposed to walk in there?" Then, gesturing down on her body with her hands, she mockingly added. "Naked?"

 _Oh, her fire is back,_ Maul thought amusingly. That's the one thing he loved about her. That great fierceness that popped up here and there was _frankly amazing,_ he thought.

Swiftly, he grabbed hold of the red cloth and with one quick motion; he pulled it out from under her.

"Now you have something to wear." He stated looking at the stunned Rey.

As she scooted off the table, she felt a sharp pain traveling through her lower abs all the way into her private area.

"Ouch." She groaned holding onto her stomach. Then with a grimace she added." That stung."

"What's wrong?" Maul asked.

Looking into his worried face, she said. "I don't think I can walk."

Instantly a smug grin appeared on his face. Then wrapping the cloth around her body, he swiftly picked her up.

Walking across the training ground, he murmured.

"I'm not used to this."

"Used to what?" Rey asked with a smile, holding onto his wide shoulders.

"Carrying a woman like this." He said with a grin.

"It's all your fault." Rey snickered into the crook of his neck then she planted a soft kiss on the side of his face.

With a sly smile, Maul kept walking until they reached the Nightsisters cave. Walking to the back of the cave, he put her down at the edge of water. Then before he left, he turned around and said.

"I left you a present in your room."

Then he quickly walked away from her. He didn't know how to act in the situation like this. The way she looked at him when he put her down made him feel awkward and strange. _Did she expect a kiss? Or maybe a hug?_ Maul confusingly searched his mind as he swiftly left the cave.

When he was out of her sight, Rey turned around and faced the water. She wondered about the present he left behind. As a frustrated sigh left her mouth, she noticed a few of the Nightsisters came into the room and started to undress to take their baths.

One of them was the Nightsister who had helped to get Rey prepared. Approaching, and quickly sizing Rey up, she said with a smile.

"How do you feel?"

"I think I'm okay." Rey replied with sadness.

"You don't sound happy." The sister replied. Then she added. "Did he make you satisfied?"

A thin smile appeared on Rey's face and she said. "Yes he did."

"Then why do you look sad?" The sister insisted.

"I just." She started to speak, and then her voice faltered. "I feel…inadequate when it comes to...you know…. comes to that." Clutching the front of the cloth, Rey took a deep breath and said. "Growing up, my mother wasn't around, and I have no idea about intimacy."

Looking into Rey's pleading eyes, the sister smiled and said in a soft tone.

"I will tell you anything you want to know."

"Really?" Rey asked with delight.

"Yes, I will even give you advice on how to please your man." She said with a mischievous glee.

"Thank you." Rey replied, feeling somewhat relieved.

Leaving the cave behind and getting onto his speeder, Maul quickly took off toward the Nightbrothers. He had to get back there to pick up a few of his belongings. From now on, he and Rey would live where Savage used to live. Also, he wanted to talk with Savage. While speeding across the terrain, his mind kept bringing back last night's images.

The way her perfect body squirmed under his, and her euphoric expression was something hard to forget. Maul had never felt like this way and it confused him. _Maybe because she was also a Force user that is why I feel the way I feel?_ He kept asking himself. _Or, it's more than that,_ he thought with a grin. To know that he had possessed the Master's daughter gave Maul great satisfaction. He wished he could stand in front of him once more and say to his ugly face that he can have his daughter any way he pleases. But Maul knew it would not come to that. What happened in the past will stay in the past. And he had already made his peace.

Within a few hours, he arrived at the Nightbrothers village. Getting off his speeder, he walked into his shack to collect a few of his weapons and clothing's, then placing everything inside his speeder, he went to look for his brother.

He found him in his home cleaning one of his hunting knives. When he entered, Savage looked up. With a wide smile, he asked.

"You look upset. Are you not satisfied?"

Pacing around Savage's modest home; Maul took a deep breath, and spoke up.

"I know you might not want to talk about it, but I need some advice brother."

Instantly, Savage knew what Maul meant. With a deep grunt, he put his knife down and stared at the ground.

"What do you want to know?" Savage asked.

"I want to know…. you know…. about how to treat a woman the right way." Maul said with hesitation. This relationship with Rey was still too new to him and made him feel puzzled. He had no idea what to do or say and he needed some advice. And the best person who could have helped him was Savage.

"If I tell you how, would you leave me alone and never bring up this subject again?" Savage asked with annoyance. However, his tone was quite amusing and Maul knew he didn't mind giving him advice, even though it still hurt him sometimes.

Patting the seat beside him, Savage gestured Maul to take a seat.

Then, he started to speak, while Maul listened carefully.

When Rey finally got back to her room, the first thing that caught her eye was her lightsaber lying on top of the bed. With sheer delight, she picked it up and held it like a baby. Then her eyes landed on the covers again, and noticed the small deer knife nestled between the folds of the blanket, beside her folded clothes. Shaking her head, and with a smile, she sat on the bed and picked up the knife.

That afternoon, standing in Mother Talzin's room, Maul and Rey were listening to her instructions.

"These books need to be delivered to them." Mother Talzin urged, while her eyes looked from Maul to Rey and then back to Maul.

"When do you want us to leave?" Maul asked.

"In a few days." She replied. Then her eyes landed on Rey and said.

"I'm entrusting you with these precious books. They must be delivered into the right hands. Can you promise me you will deliver them, even if it might cost you your life?"

Rey knew how important these books were. When she took them from the ancient tree, she knew they needed to be hidden again, so they wouldn't get into the wrong hands. Especially, after her great disappointment in the older Jedi, she had to have them; otherwise, she sensed he was going to destroy them all. She couldn't allow that.

When she met Maul in the forest, she was certain, he was going to use them for his evil visions. However, finding out he was just following his mother's orders, now Rey was glad their unconventional encounter happened the way it happened. She would have never thought when she picked up those books; it would lead her to a much better and promising future. Glancing toward Maul, she watched his handsome profile for a second, and then averting her gaze from his face, she looked at Mother Talzin and said.

"Yes, I promise you, even if it costs me my life."

Hearing her words unsettled Maul. This was the last thing he wanted to think about. The thought of losing her gave Maul an uneasy feeling. He hoped, their mission would go smooth and then they would be back _and do what?_ He quickly asked himself, while staring at the ground in front of his mother's feet. _Have babies and raise a family?_ These thoughts were also unsettling. He just couldn't imagine living a life like that. But on the other hand he didn't want to lose her either. _Oh Maker, this is just too confusing._ He thought with despair, while he listened to their conversation.

"Take them my dear." Mother Talzin said, handing the books back to Rey. As soon as Rey had the books in her hands, she turned toward Maul. Teasingly raising up one of her eyebrows and with a smug grin, she placed the books into her satchel and that is when she heard his voice in her head.

 _I'll get you later for that look._

 _I dare you._ She teased.

When both of them were dismissed, they walked out of the cave and approached his speeder.

"Where are we going?" Rey asked watching him getting onto his bike.

"Our home." He replied, tasting the strangeness of this word on his tongue.

Revving up his speeder, they took off toward the mountains. It was late in the evening when they arrived to a wood log cabin, hidden deep within the woods.

Getting off the bike, Rey quickly sized up her new home. Beside the modest house, there was a good size shed next to a training yard. Behind the house, on a small clearing stood Maul's ship.

Immediately, she liked this place. _This would be a perfect place to raise a family,_ she thought excitedly. Her happiness must have showed on her face, when Maul said.

"Don't get too excited. We wont stay here too long."

"I know." She replied with disappointment. "But we will be back soon, won't we?"

Her question left his thoughts in turmoil. Every time he left Dathomir, he never knew if he would ever see it again. And this mission was no exception. That is why, he never wanted to settle, _but with her,_ he thought glancing her way, _yes, with her would be something else._

After placing his speeder into his ship, they entered the home. To their surprise, the house was lavishly furnished. As Rey's eyes landed on the cozy interior of the home, her curious gaze found the dining table. There was food already set up, waiting for them.

"Who did this?" Maul asked with surprise, not believing his eyes.

"I guess someone who cares about us." Rey said with delight as she ran to the table and picked up a plate full of delicious smelling food.

Stuffing her mouth, she turned around to see Maul still standing in the doorway.

Watching her with a disapproved expression, she quickly spoke up with a mouth full of food.

"I'm starving." Then she started to snicker and quickly reached for a glass of water, before her food went down the wrong way.

Slowly shaking his head, Maul stepped closer and gently took the cup out of her hand. Placing the half empty cup down the table, he said in a low voice.

"Please, just sit down and slow down before you choke."

Swallowing her food, she looked him in the eye and suddenly she wanted nothing more, but to kiss him and let him have his way with her again.

But she wasn't sure if he was thinking the same. Also, she didn't want to look too eager about giving herself to him again.

Taking one of the chairs, Rey sat down and continued to eat, while Maul looked around the house. When he came back, he also took a seat, and started to eat.

Sitting across from Rey, he kept picking on his plate. He wasn't really hungry, or at least not for food. Watching her eat, a strange desire coursed through his body. Cleaning off the plate, she eagerly licked her fingers, while a small moan left her mouth, savoring the taste of her food. In that moment, Maul's groin tightened to a degree, he felt his pants were two sizes too small. _Why does she have this effect on me?_ He mumbled in his head staring at her with hungry eyes.

When she was done, she leaned back in the chair and belched.

"Sorry." She beamed. "This was just too delicious."

Then her eyes landed on his plate. Noticing that he hadn't really touched his food, brought a frown to her pretty face.

"You don't like it?" She asked.

"I'm not really hungry." He replied gazing into her eyes.

Instantly, her stomach muscles clenched. His gaze was the same as last night just before he ripped her dress off. Excusing herself, she stood up. To her amazement, she found a bathroom within the home. Quickly, she locked herself inside. Sizing up the small space, she wanted to jump with joy. The room was simple, but elegant with large white tiles covering the floor. Approaching the shower, she couldn't believe there was running water inside. _No more outdoor tubs or green water,_ she thought excitedly.

Washing her face, she looked into the mirror, from where, her tired expression looked back at her.

Then checking her face and opening her mouth, she noticed there were leftover food parts between her teeth.

Looking around, she didn't see a toothbrush anywhere. Then, she remembered, she left hers behind in the Nightsisters cave.

Calling out to Maul, she yelled.

"Do you know if there's a toothbrush?"

After a few seconds of silence, she heard his voice.

"What's that?"

Rolling her eyes and with a frustrated sigh, she murmured at her reflection.

"Never mind."

Quickly rinsing her mouth, she spat out the water and wiped her face with one of the towels.

When she was done, she stepped out and noticed Maul was not at the table anymore.

Without his shirt, Maul was sitting on the bed reading one of the Jedi texts. Watching his face while he read made Rey want to laugh. His expressions were priceless. Scoffing at the book, he placed it back into her satchel. Then, his eyes met hers.

Instantly, her heart rate jumped and she quickly tore her gaze away from him.

"Come here." He said in a deep, smooth tone.

Stepping closer, she stopped at the edge of the bed where he sat. Gently folding his arms around her waist, he pulled her down into his lap. Straddling his thighs, she gazed into his golden eyes to see extreme desire in them.

Slowly removing her jacket and throwing it to the floor, he grabbed hold of her hips and gently squeezed her, feeling his excitement growing with each second. Then he buried his face into her chest, savoring her scent.

Rey felt astonished by this tender behavior. Carefully cradling his horned head, she softly rubbed the back of his neck and head, while a deep shudder left his mouth.

For a few minutes, they just sat there cuddling. Then his hands slowly sneaked up under her shirt and gently squeezed one of her breasts, leaving Rey wanting more.

When a small, blissful moan left her mouth, he looked up and pulled her face to his, pressing his lips to hers.

Within their tender kiss, there was that spark again that Maul found astonishing.

Pulling her shirt over her head, his hungry mouth found one of her tender nipples and while his tongue tortuously teased her, Rey felt the heat pooling between her thighs, while she slowly rubbed herself onto him.

Picking her up, he placed her beneath him. As he removed her boots, the small knife, she had hidden there, suddenly made a loud clang on the floor.

Shrugging her shoulders and with a mischievous grin she said.

"Sorry."

Looking at her, and clicking his tongue he said.

" ..and you called me a thief."

Tugging on her pants, he quickly pulled them off, also discarding them to the floor.

Lying on the bed nude, Rey felt strangely calm under his intense stare. She didn't feel the need to cover up. Now she enjoyed his lustful gaze, as he looked at her with great desire. Then as he was about to lean forward, she placed her foot on his chest and teasingly said.

"Not so fast."

A momentary confusion was seen on his tattooed face, and then he understood. _She wants me to wash up,_ he thought with a grin.

Straightening up, he removed his pants. Standing in front of Rey, he extended his arm and said with a sly grin.

"Join me."

Taking his hand, he pulled her off the bed and picking her up, he walked into the bathroom.

Under the warm shower, he slowly lathered her body up, while her face showed great satisfaction.

 _This was so different, not like him,_ Rey thought with confusion. She wondered what happened between this morning and now. Then it was her turn to clean him up. This time, she had the opportunity to explore his fine body. Sliding her hands down the side of his arms, she gently massaged his skin, then she placed her hands on his wide chest that was moving rapidly under her touches. Then sliding her hands further down, she grabbed hold of his manhood, feeling its extreme hardness beneath her fingers.

This was the first time she had touched him, or any man for that matter. Gently sliding her hand over his length, she noticed his face became euphoric, while his breathing quickened.

 _He enjoys this,_ she thought with awe. _The sister was right,_ she thought as she kept on with her soft touches.

Maul was truly enjoying this. Her gentle touches felt extremely good. Closing his eyes, he let this great feeling completely engulf his body and mind. Then something unexpected happened that quickly popped his eyes open.

As her mouth wrapped around him, Maul's breath hitched in his chest. Looking down, he was in complete shock to see her kneeling in front of him.

Instantly, Rey heard his ragged voice in her head.

 _What… are…. you doing?_

 _Returning a favor._ Rey replied in the same manner.

After a few seconds of silence, the only thing he was able to say was.

 _Ok._

When he reached his peak, the sensation he gave Rey was out of the ordinary. This experience was _extremely arousing,_ she thought wiping her mouth.

An hour later, while they lay in bed, resting her head on his chest, Rey listened to his strong, steady heartbeats. With a satisfied smile, she traced her finger on the tattoos on his abdomen, and then she asked.

"Is it true, you have two hearts?"

"Yes." She heard his voice.

"I like that." Rey said with a smile. "Now you can love me twice as much."

Mentioning the word love gave Maul this bizarre feeling inside. He had no idea how to love a person. He did love his brothers and mother, but that kind of love was different. Or that was what he had thought anyway. Rey did cause a different kind of reaction within him, but he wasn't sure what he felt for her was just a certain fascination or maybe something more.

Gently twirling her hair with his finger, Maul replied with a soft tone.

"I'll try, but can't promise anything."

Somehow, his words did not bother Rey as much as she thought they would be. She knew a man like him needed more time to process these types of emotions. _With time,_ she thought, _yes, with time it will happen._ However, she felt herself falling hard for him and it scared her a little. This great attachment she felt for him made Rey feel safe and alive. She didn't want to lose this special feeling, ever.

Resting her chin on his chest, she looked at him and said.

"I can live with that."

Placing her head back onto his chest, she closed her eyes and slowly and peacefully she fell asleep.

Sometime in the middle of the night Maul sprung up. Looking to his left, he saw Rey in a deep sleep, softly snoring into the pillows. Then his eyes quickly traveled the darkened room. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, he took a deep breath and steadied himself. As he tried to lean back, suddenly another wave of familiar feeling enveloped his whole being. This sensation was so strong, with a swift move; he threw off the covers and jumped up.

"What's wrong?" Rey asked sitting up.

"He is here." He growled. His eyes frightened, scanning the room again.

"Who?" Rey asked clutching the covers and swiftly looking around.

Quickly putting his clothes on and in an urgent manner, he shouted at Rey.

"Hurry! Get dressed!"

When she didn't move, he yelled again.

"Now! Damn it woman!"

As fast as she could, Rey jumped out of bed and pulled on her clothes.

"Bring the books and your weapon." He urged her. Then running out of the house, they boarded his ship.

"What is going on?" Rey asked with frightened eyes, watching Maul starting up the ship.

"He is here on Dathomir. I can sense his strong presence." Maul growled with apprehension.

Quickly, he lifted up the ship and took off toward the Nightsisters cave.

While flying, he activated the cloaking device, quickly camouflaging the ship within the red mist that enveloped the cold night sky.

Rey was getting impatient. He still didn't give her the answer she was looking for. Standing behind him, she placed her hands on his shoulder and forcefully turned him around.

"Who are you talking about?" She demanded.

"My old Master." He replied. Then he added. "Your father."

With a terrified expression, she exclaimed. "What?!"

Maul was about to reply when suddenly he heard his mother's frightened, pleading voice in his head.

 _Run, my son. Go and fulfill your destiny. Leave now!_

 _Mother!_ Maul called out. Then his apprehension grew as their connection abruptly broke.

"She is in danger, as well as everyone else." Maul murmured as he stared out the window.

Rey's hands flew to her mouth. With a sharp intake, she whispered.

"Oh…. no...Maker. Not the Nightsisters."

With clenched fists, and with a saddened and angry tone, Maul replied.

"I'm afraid we might be too late already."

In the Nightsisters cave, Mother Talzin laid on the ground, gravely injured by the old man in a dark robe, who stood above her. Watching her crumpled form, an evil glint appeared in his eyes. In a raspy voice, he asked again.

"Where are they?"

Coughing up some fresh blood, Mother Talzin replied. Her horse voice was barely heard above the great destruction that his Imperial troops were causing within her precious home.

"They're not here."

"Then where are they?" He asked impatiently.

Looking up on his grotesque, shriveled frame, a sly smile appeared on her face. Mockingly, she said.

"You'll never have them."

"We shall see." He replied also in a mocking tone. Then he ironically added. "You see Talzin, your reign is over." Motioning around the cave, he watched as his troops easily and quickly destroyed her clan. _They didn't even have a chance,_ he eagerly thought watching this great genocide.

"Go to hell Sidious!" Mother Talzin spat.

"I've been there, done that." The man replied. Then extending his arms, he sent a surge of powerful lightning into her already battered body. Within a few torturous seconds, Mother Talzin closed her eyes for the last time. While her body lay destroyed on the ground, undetectably, her soul flew to the depths of Dathomir, immediately becoming one with the planet.

Then he heard the troops Captain distorted voice.

"My Lord. We were not able to retrieve the books."

With an unpleasant frown, he turned toward the soldier and said.

"Keep looking. I know they're here…. somewhere."

"Yes. My Lord." The Captain acknowledged his orders and walked away.

From the ship, Maul immediately recognized the Imperial troops, with their white and black uniforms covering the plain terrain around the cave.

An instant anger fueled his crazed mind. As soon as the ship touched down, with weapons in hands, he and Rey made their way toward the troops that were still fighting with his brothers.

 _As I taught you before, do not falter._ His anger-fueled voice was heard loud and clear in her head.

 _I won't._ She replied, keeping up with him.

Reaching the first soldier, and quickly activating both side of his weapon with ease, Maul sliced off his head, sending his white helmet across the land. Then, as he reached the next one, with a powerful force push, he sent his crumpled body against another one, colliding him with his fellow mate.

Behind Maul, Rey also activated her weapon, slicing and dicing anyone around her who wore a white suit. After killing the first trooper, Rey felt a sudden surge of adrenaline rushing through her body. This extra push quickly helped her regain her senses while utilizing the Force. Soaring through the air and without mercy, her weapon found soldier after soldier.

While Maul killed another worthless soldier, he quickly looked back to make sure Rey was okay.

Seeing her fight against the troops made Maul proud. Her slender body easily evaded the attacks, as she spun and jumped over one of the soldiers who received a powerful blast in the chest that was meant for her.

Landing on the ground, she looked his way and smiled.

Quickly tearing his eyes away from her, he noticed Savage fighting with three soldiers around the cave's mouth. His red, double-edged lightsaber swiftly cut and sliced through men and armor.

Rushing to help him, he was held off by more soldiers as they quickly fired at him. While Maul was occupied, Rey also noticed Savage.

Running toward him, she had to jump over many fallen soldiers and Nightbrothers alike before she reached him.

Then, she noticed something else too. There was a man with dark robes, slowly walking out of the cave. His very presence immediately disturbed Rey. She didn't know why she felt the way she felt, but there was something about him that instantly sent a powerful shiver down her spine.

Being occupied with the soldiers, Savage didn't notice the man, until it was almost too late for him. He didn't know what hit him, when a powerful force push threw him back further away from the cave. Landing on his back and with a loud grunt, he tried to sit up, just as a man with dark clothing flew toward him.

Losing his weapon, Savage quickly looked to see where he dropped it. But when he looked up, the man was already on top of him, raising his red lightsaber to strike him down.

Before the man could finalize his kill, another lightsaber crossed his path.

Behind the bright blue glow, there was a young woman. Her pretty face showed visible anger as she held her weapon steadily against his.

Suddenly, an uncannily familiar feeling rushed through him like wildfire through dried out woods. His eyes grew wide like saucers and through trembling lips, he croaked with astonishment.

"Aldereya."

"Father?" Rey whispered with shock. Somehow, she knew this small, deformed man was none other than her father.

Then in a split second, his body was thrown back, flying through the air.

With extended arms, Maul watched with satisfaction as his old Master's body flew through the air. However, realizing that they had lost this fight, Maul quickly grabbed Rey by the arm and shouted.

"We have to go now!"

Jumping up, and locating his weapon, Savage eyes found Maul's. Nodding in agreement, he swiftly grabbed the still astonished Rey by the waist. Picking her up like she was a rag doll, he started to run toward Maul's ship as more troops poured out of the cave.

Staying just a moment longer behind, Maul stared down his old Master, as he was getting ready to stand up. Then, he turned around and sped toward his ship.

As the ship took off into space, Sidious stood up and casually dusted off his long robes. While his eyes followed the ship, his heart ached with great pleasure. When it completely disappeared from his view, he silently whispered a name. A name, he thought was lost to him forever.

"Aldereya."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8.**

Rey's head was about to explode. The pressure that came from inside was getting intolerable. Holding onto her temples, she tried to relax her mind and body. The image of her father's disfigured face kept coming back to her troubled mind. She couldn't believe she saw him. It still felt so surreal to her. And the evil things he had done on Dathomir were just extremely painful to think about. _Everyone was gone,_ Rey thought with dismay. This horrible thought was just too much to deal with.

As she tried to suppress these troubled thoughts, she looked at Savage who sat on the floor in front of the back seats. His horned head hung low, as he stared at the ground. A deep, shaky breath escaped his mouth, and then a single tear ran down his solemn face, dropping on the ground in front of him.

Taking a deep breath, Rey walked up to him and sat down beside him. Embracing his large frame, she whispered into his ear.

"I'm so sorry, Savage."

Then she laid her head on his wide shoulder, feeling his pain through the Force.

Taking another shaky, deep breath, Savage quickly wiped his face and then looking at Rey, he said in his deep voice.

"I'm so sorry too."

Feeling his sadness upset Rey. Instantly, she wanted to lash out and kill anybody, including her father for what he did to all of them. Still, there was that one thing that bothered her the most. After finally seeing him in the flesh disturbed Rey's thoughts. Secretly, she still held hope that some of the Nightsisters might have survived, but this was just a futile way of thinking.

 _Nobody survived that massacre,_ she thought with great despair as her eyes landed on Maul.

Sitting in the pilot seat, Maul was looking straight ahead. His mind was not on the massacre of his people or the fight he just had, but on something more important.

His crazed fuelled mind was focused on revenge. In his head, he already formed a plan that would bring down the Empire and Sidious with all of his followers.

However, his promise to his mother had to be fulfilled and that is the first thing he needed to do.

Then he felt her hand on his shoulder. Staring ahead, he didn't want to look at her right now. He was afraid if he did that, he wouldn't be able to control his ravaged emotions. The last thing he wanted to do was to break down in front of her. He needed his strength to keep everyone strong.

To lose his mother and brothers and sisters was beyond comprehension. But he had to keep his thoughts in check and think about his mission first and then on his revenge.

The Jedi books had to be delivered. He was certain that those wretched books were the cause of the destruction and deaths. He wondered if his mother had foreseen all this, but she chose not to say anything. Sometimes, her words still echoed in his head.

 _Please, take her my son. With your union, your offspring's will bring down the Empire and him._

But if his mother was talking about their unborn children, it would be a long time before the Empire collapses. It would take years before those children could accomplish what his mother had seen in her vision.

 _No,_ he thought angrily. _I can't wait that long._

Composing himself, he looked up and locked eyes with Rey.

Gently caressing his face, Rey said with a sigh.

"I know how you feel. I can sense your anger and frustration."

"Then, you know what must be done." He replied, removing her hand from his face.

He didn't want to be touched right now or feel her pity. Feeling her conflicted emotions upset Maul even further. He really didn't want to deal with this right now. Somehow he sensed her conflicted thoughts about his old Master. Even though she tried to hide it, she was not able to do that. Her emotions betrayed her and Maul wanted to make sure she was on the same team with him and Savage.

Feeling a little let down, Rey retracted her hand and averting her gaze from him, she looked out the window. Then she spoke up.

"I know what you think. But you don't have to worry Maul. I already pledged my body and soul to you." Turning toward him, she looked him in the eye. Squatting down in front of him, and holding onto his hands, she said in a pleading tone.

"Please, you have to trust me. He doesn't mean anything to me."

With a suspicious stare, Maul asked.

"Nothing?"

Cupping his face into her hands, she said in a hushed voice.

"I promise you I will kill him for everything he has done to you and my mother."

 _Behind those pleading eyes, there was determination, but how much?_ Maul wasn't sure, as he removed her hands again. He wanted to place his complete trust in her, but somehow, there was that nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Slightly nodding his head, he turned away from her and gazed out the window again.

Rey sensed he wanted to be left alone. She also sensed a certain amount of mistrust coming from him. That extremely bothered her. If they were destined to be together, they had to completely and without a doubt trust each other. Slowly getting up, she walked into the elevator and went downstairs to their room.

"Don't be so hard on her."

Maul heard Savage's voice. Getting up, he approached Maul and stood next to him. Then he said.

"Think about her feelings Maul. She lost everyone again. We also did, but for her this is much harder to deal with." Then he added. "It must be hard for her to deny the only living family she's got."

Slowly, Maul lowered his gaze and stared at the control panel. Then without saying anything he got up and went downstairs.

While she silently cried in the shower, she heard Maul come in. Removing his clothes, he stepped into the shower and turning her to face him, he hungrily pressed his lips to hers.

Pulling him closer, she pressed her body against his, as the warm water mixed with their tears, ran down their entangled bodies.

In the middle of the night, Rey woke up. Quickly sitting up and looking around, she tried to steady herself, while her pulse started to slow down.

Then, she looked at the sleeping Maul beside her. _He looks so peaceful, and beautiful,_ she thought with a smile, trying to dismiss the aftermath of her horrid dream. She had no idea who the man was in her dream, but he looked somewhat important and very powerful, she was certain of that. His evil chuckle was still ringing in her ear, as she leaned back staring at the ceiling.

Her thoughts took her back to Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters. She missed them terribly. Her heart ached, just thinking about them. Fortunately, she didn't see what happened to them. She wouldn't be able to bear the thought of knowing what kind of fate enfolded them in the end. _It's better this way,_ she thought trying to suppress her tears again.

Closing her eyes, she tried to fell asleep, but she was just not able to do that. Fearing her nightmare might return, she got up. After putting some clothes on and using the bathroom, she went upstairs.

Sitting in Maul's seat, she looked at the blinking control panel. The coordinates to their destination were already set. They were heading to the Unknown regions, and from the looks of it they just passed the Outer Rim. _We should be within the Unknown very soon,_ she thought with apprehension.

Rey had barely any memories of that place. However now she was curious. If this was the place that she and her mother had to endure for years, Rey wanted to see it with her own eyes. She wondered which planet within this unexplored region was the one her father dropped them off. _My father, s_ he thought with distaste. Quickly dismissing the thoughts of him, she opened the glowing screen and started to search to see what types of planets were within the Unknown. However, her search came up with nothing more than the coordinates that were given by Mother Talzin. _No wonder it's called the Unknown regions,_ she thought with frustration and anger.

Leaning back in the seat, and burying her head into her hands, she blew out a frustrated sigh. Then closing her eyes, and within a few minutes, she dozed off.

Beep, beep, beep.

The soft beeping sound became louder as Rey awoke.

Rubbing her face, she looked at the map that was still open, and noticed a rapidly blinking light. Leaning forward, her eyes followed the light as it moved very slowly on the map. Whatever this thing was, it was definitely big and it was heading their way. _Or were we heading its way?_ She thought with confusion. Quickly typing into the computer, she pulled up another screen. That screen also showed the exact same thing.

 _Something is coming this way,_ she thought while her fingers deftly typed in more information bringing up a partial map of the area.

"Where are we?" She whispered as she looked from one screen to another, trying to get their location. Then she heard Savage.

"What is going on?"

Turning in her chair, she looked back and saw Savage approaching her. Wearing only pants, Rey quickly sized up his muscular upper body that looked similar to Maul's, except his tattoos. They were in a slightly different pattern. Still, _they made him look fierce and powerful,_ she thought with awe.

Standing beside her, he placed his large hands on the control panel and looked at the map. Then pointing to the blinking light, he asked.

"Is that thing moving?"

Also looking at the map, Rey spoke up.

"Yes. And from the looks of it, it's coming this way."

"That's gotta be something huge." Savage said, frowning, then he added with a growl. "I don't like this."

"Should I change course?" Rey asked, hoping to get out of the way of whatever was coming at them. She didn't like this either. But to change their route, it might put them somewhere else on the map, and she didn't think Maul wanted to do that. Then Maul's voice was heard behind them.

"Don't change anything."

Stepping closer, Maul also looked at the map and with a frown he said.

"There."

Pointing to a tight cluster of constellations, he continued.

"We could get lost in there, and stay unnoticed, while this thing passes us."

"What do you think it is?" Rey asked, watching Maul's stern face.

"I don't know." Maul replied. Then he added. "I'd rather not want to find out. It's better if we stay anonymous."

"Yes brother." Savage agreed. "We have to get this mission done, so we could get on with our revenge."

"Revenge?" Rey asked with amazement. "What are you talking about?"

Savage was going to say something, when Maul quickly motioned him to stay quiet.

Turning to Rey, he said.

"After we returned the books, we are going to Iridonia. And then, we would bring down the Empire."

"What's on Iridonia?" Rey asked looking from Maul to Savage.

"A planet full of Zabraks." Maul replied with a grin.

Suddenly Mother Talzin's words invaded her mind. But to tell Maul that they might have to wait years before they get their revenge, _was not a best idea,_ she thought with a frown. Rey knew, he was out for blood and even if she tried, she was not powerful enough to be able to stop him. Rey was ready to get up and give the seat back to Maul, when he placed his hand on her shoulder and said with a sly smile.

"I have already seen certain skills from you, but not your piloting one. Go ahead. Take us there."

Instantly, Rey shot a teasing, but scolding look at Maul. Then with a wide smile, she beamed at him. Disengaging the autopilot, she navigated the ship toward the constellations. Within a short time, they had reached the area. After cloaking the ship, they hid and waited for the newcomers.

As they stared out the window, they noticed the large object was almost upon them. To Rey, it looked like a small moon that was moving with slow pace. But as it came closer, it grew larger and she noticed with astonishment, it was no moon, but a large space station.

"A Death Star?" Maul said with confusion. "What is it doing out here?"

"What's a Death Star?" Rey inquired.

Taking a deep breath, Maul replied with faint cynicism.

"Your father's favorite toy."

"A toy?" Rey asked with astonishment, watching the station getting bigger. She was too scared to even ask what it did. The enormous metal body looked extremely intimidating.

As it slowly passed them, Rey didn't even notice she was holding her breath. When the space station was further away, with a sigh, she turned to Maul and was about to ask again, when a loud beeping noise caught all their attentions. Then suddenly, their ship lurched backwards. Holding onto the control panel for support, Maul's eyes quickly searched the screen. First, he didn't see anything unusual, but as he looked closer, he noticed something.

Caught in its tracker beam, the Infiltrator was slowly pulled toward an extremely large destroyer.

"Damn it." Maul growled, as he quickly typed in a code sequence.

"Are we being tracked into that thing?" Rey asked, giving the seat back to Maul.

"Let me see if I can get us out of here." Maul replied in a hurry, while he kept typing into his computer.

While Maul was occupied with the ship, Savage quickly went downstairs and after getting dressed, he grabbed his weapon and Maul's and then returned to the control room.

As much as Maul tried to bypass and disengage from the ship's tracker beam, he wasn't able to do so. Quickly getting out of his seat, he clipped his weapon to his wide belt. Turning to Rey, he said in a hurry.

"Go and get dressed and get your weapon." Then before Rey left the room, he added. "Keep the satchel with you at all times."

Nodding her head, she took the elevator and went down into their room to get ready for whatever was coming.

Within a few minutes, the Infiltrator was sucked into the belly of the destroyer. With a loud tremble, the ship landed on a wide landing pad.

Fearing for the worst, Maul, Savage and Rey stood steadily in the control room, as the back door opened. However, Maul was surprised when instead of seeing Imperial troopers in their white and black outfits, he saw men in dark clothing entering his ship, holding different types of weapons.

Behind a mask, one of them spoke up. "Drop your weapons."

Reluctantly, they all handed their weapons to another one who also wore a strange mask, hiding his visage. Maul was not happy to give his precious lightsaber to him, but he had no choice. If they were going to fight, they will die. And that was something he tried to avoid. Then after searching them, they were escorted out of the ship and into the destroyer.

Stepping off his ship, Maul quickly sized up the enormously large hangar.

There were other ships beside his, but they looked different. Those ships looked like an altered version of a well-known TIE fighter.

Then as his eyes landed on the dark uniformed men, from the back, another, taller one wearing a silver fused mask stepped forward.

His long, black outfit gently brushed the polished metal floor, as he approached them.

Immediately, Maul sensed he was also a Force user. And not just any, but a very powerful one. Standing in front of them, one by one, he sized them up.

Then with a distorted voice, he spoke up.

"Well, well, well. What have we got in here?"

Stepping in front of Savage, he slightly raised his head to be able to look him in the eye. Then his eyes landed on Maul. Standing in front of him, and after a few seconds of silence, the man in the mask spoke up.

"What were you doing out here?"

When Maul didn't reply, he stepped closer and looked down into his blank face and said.

"I'm not going to ask you again."

When Maul still didn't answer, he stepped in front of Rey.

Watching her for a few seconds, and as her frightened wide hazel eyes looked at him, with a swift move, he Force grabbed her and lifted her up.

While Rey struggled to breathe, with a low growl Maul said.

"Put her down."

"Oh, you can speak." The man cynically replied. Still holding Rey, he pulled her closer, until her face was only inches from his. And while she was still levitating and gasping for air, suddenly Maul's lightsaber flew through the air and landed in his hand.

Activating his weapon, Maul was about to strike the man down, when he quickly let go of Rey and brought forward his weapon. The red crossguard lightsaber instantly collided with Maul's; causing a high pitched electrical sound that echoed through the hangar.

Maul knew this was not the wisest thing to do, but his mind was screaming with anger and frustration, as he watched her being slowly choked to death. _That, I could not allow to happen,_ he thought with immense anger as he unwisely made his first move.

Behind his mask, the man was surprised, but he welcomed this new challenge with pleasure. Grinning from ear to ear, he swiftly and easily blocked the Zabrak's attack.

Crumpled on the floor, Rey loudly coughed a few times as she tried to take a few deep breaths. Then, her watery eyes landed on Maul, who just made his first strike.

However, his futile attempt didn't get far enough. As soon as the fight started, it finished very quickly.

Using his great Force powers, the man easily lifted Maul off the ground. Then ripping the lightsaber out of his hand, he quickly caught it. Stepping closer, he placed Maul's glowing weapon against his surprised face, and while Savage was held back by the others, he swiftly cut off one of his horns, making Maul roar with rage.

Dropping him to the ground, and then holding Maul's lightsaber against the side of his head, he spoke up again.

"Let's see what the Supreme Leader Snoke say about this."

Then he added.

"Bring them."

When all three were handcuffed, they were escorted through the hangar into an elevator.

When the elevator stopped, and the door opened, Rey was awestruck to see the bright red room that lay before her eyes. The expansive chamber looked extremely clean and neat. It had almost no furnishing, except for a large metal throne that stood in the middle.

Sitting on the throne was a tall man with golden robes. Surrounding him were six others with bright red uniforms. Their faces also hidden behind masks. _They look menacing,_ Rey anxiously thought watching them standing by with weapons in hands.

As they stepped closer, Rey noticed the man with the golden robes was much taller than she previously thought.

Within his deformed, scarred face, his deep set eyes were intently looking at them. Then one by one, as they were forced to kneel down, the tall man spoke up. His deep voice resonated off the chamber's walls.

"Spies of the Empire?"

"Not sure, my Lord." The man with the silver mask spoke up.

"Then why did you bring them here?" The man on the throne asked.

A few seconds of silence followed, then behind his silver mask he spoke up again.

"I wanted to execute them, however, I think they could be used for something far more interesting." Then he added. "Look closer, my Lord."

The deep set eyes slowly scrutinized each of them. Then slowly getting up, he walked closer.

Brushing against the polished black floor, his long golden robes made a soft swishing sound as he approached them.

Rey thought Savage was the biggest man she had ever seen. _But how wrong I was,_ staring at the tall man standing in front of them.

"Stand up, my child." He said to Rey.

Slowly standing up, Rey stood in front of him staring at his golden slippers. With his long arms he reached out and touched Rey's face. Grabbing onto her cheeks, he swiftly turned her head from left to right, like he was appraising her. Then with a sly smile, he said.

"Hmm...very interesting."

Letting her go, he walked up to the kneeling Maul and Savage.

Maul's intense gaze focused on the floor in front of him. He didn't want to say anything to this being. Maul was able to sense his extraordinary powers as he stood with his golden robes and matching soft slippers in front of him. Through their Force bond, Maul spoke to Rey and then to Savage.

 _Stay still and we will find the way to get out of here._

Rey was just too scared to reply. Her eyes were glued to the tall man. His unwelcome touch was still lingering on her face, making Rey slightly tremble. She was sure now, he was not human, but something else. And she was also sure that this was the man she had seen in her nightmare. However, in her dream, he looked different. His face was intact not deformed like it is now.

She didn't know who these people were, but she knew one thing, they were no friends but dangerous and extremely powerful. The immense power that he emitted was palpable. He was also a Force user, however, his powers were somehow different, and she just couldn't put her finger on what it was.

When he finished appraising them, he looked up and said to the man in the silver mask.

"My dear apprentice. You couldn't have brought me a better gift."

"Yes, my Lord." The man replied.

"Take them away and lock them up." The tall man ordered, motioning the rest of the men to take the new prisoners away.

However, when it was Rey's turn to be taken, he spoke up again.

"Not this one." He said, looking at Rey's fearful, confused expression. Then he added with a sly grin.

"This one stays."

As Maul and Savage were escorted out of the chamber, with a fearful expression, Rey followed their every step. In the elevator, Maul turned and for a second, his burning eyes locked onto hers. Through their connection he said.

 _I'll see you soon._

Then, as the elevator door closed, Rey's heart skipped a beat. Turning back, she looked at the tall man. Painfully biting her lower lip, she took a couple of shallow breaths, waiting to hear what he wanted from her.

"I can sense your fear my dear." He said as he walked back to his throne. "However, I could also sense something else. Something far more interesting." Sitting down, he beckoned one of the men to approach him.

Offering up the three lightsabers for him, he immediately picked out Rey's. Dismissing the man, he slowly turned the weapon in his hands. With a look of approval, he grinned and said.

"Where did you get this?"

"I found it." Rey spoke up. Her voice sounded fragile as she tried to keep it together.

"More like it found you?" The man said pointing the lightsaber toward her.

 _How does he know?_ Rey confusingly thought. Then from behind her, the man with the silver mask stepped forward and asked.

"Do you still need me my Lord?"

"Indeed I do." He replied with a sly smile.

Then, turning his attention back to Rey, he said to her.

"I know you are more than what you seem. I can sense a great power within you my dear." Then he added as he placed the lightsaber on his armrest. "If you don't mind, I would love to see a small demonstration of those mighty powers of yours."

Rey stared at him with confusion. She didn't understood what he wanted from her. _Does he want to fight me?_ She anxiously thought.

Then before Rey could open her mouth and protest, he spoke up again.

"My dear apprentice. Remove your helmet."

Reaching up, and pressing down on either side of his helmet, the man removed it and held it in the crock of his arm.

Watching him, Rey could see the back of his luscious black hair as it spilled out of the helmet. Still facing away from her, he spoke up. His strong, deep young voice surprised Rey.

"My Lord. I'm at your service."

"Oh yes, indeed you are." The tall man chuckled as he looked from him to Rey. Then turning back to him, he said amusingly.

"Let's see what she's got."

When he said that, the man nodded his head, and then turned around.

Facing Rey, his deep brown eyes, curiously sized her up. Framed by dark curls, his young, pale narrow face looked calm and composed as he locked eyes with her. Immediately, there was something about him that bothered Rey. Maybe the way he looked at her? Or maybe the way he stood there? She didn't know. But there was definitely something off and Rey didn't like this a bit.

"My dear." The tall man spoke up again. "Meet my apprentice, Kylo Ren."

 _Kylo Ren? That is his name?_ Rey thought with confusion. Clutching her hands in front of her, and with great anticipation, she waited to see what would happen.

Stepping closer, and with a flick of his wrist, Rey's handcuffs suddenly came undone, falling to the ground.

Then he reached to his side and unclipped his weapon. Suddenly, a bright red glow enveloped his young, comely features.

Rey's pulse instantly accelerated. A sudden surge of adrenaline, like lightning strike, coursed through her body. She was certain of one thing, she didn't want to die today. She wanted to leave this cold and hostile place and see Maul and Savage again.

Instinctively, Rey called for her lightsaber, which quickly flew into her hands. Immediately she ignited her weapon. Now, she was ready for anything that this man might bring at her.

Looking at his lightsaber, Rey wondered what did he do to make it look like that. His weapon was definitely not a traditional look, but rather unique.

With a skillful move, he twirled the blade in his gloved hand, waiting for Rey to make the first move.

Suddenly, memories of the last few days flooded her mind. The painful memories of the massacred Nightbrothers and Nightsisters were still raw. And now this situation she was put into made Rey's mind go completely dark. The rage she felt at that moment was unbearable. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and when she opened them again, with a battle cry, she lunged at the apprentice, the man called Kylo Ren, instantly colliding her weapon with his.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9.**

He was surprised how strong she was, as she firmly held against his weapon. _But she is not stronger than me,_ he thought quickly pushing her back, making her almost tumble to the floor. In a split second, Rey regained her equilibrium. With extreme anger, she lunged at him again barely passing his left shoulder.

Avoiding another strike from her, Kylo Ren quickly turned his body sideways and was about to strike her down, when to his amazement, she deftly spun around and sliced at his face.

Feeling the extreme heat of the blade as it lightly grazed the bridge of his nose, Kylo Ren instantly felt a mixture of rage and astonishment. _How could this savage girl do this to me?_ He roared in his head. _She is trying to humiliate me in front of the Supreme Leader,_ he thought with anger, as he skillfully evaded another surprisingly fast attack from her.

 _Let's see who gets humiliated now,_ he thought with a sly smile, as he swiftly spun around and touched the end of his blade to her left thigh.

On contact, the dark blue fabric easily split apart exposing the top half of her leg. Then, before this crafty move could even register with her, this time, he touched the edge of the searing blade to her abdomen, cutting into her shirt.

Rey was astonished as she looked down to see the large gaping holes in her top and pants. She couldn't believe what he just did.

 _He is toying with me and trying to humiliate me!?_ Rey thought with anger, while her eyes locked onto his. With a smug grin he stared at Rey. However, there was also something else behind those deep brown eyes, she noticed.

 _Curiosity?_ She thought with confusion. However, she didn't care for what he thought at the moment. She needed to defeat him, otherwise she would be defeated and most likely killed and that was something she tried to avoid at all costs.

As she swiftly spun around and tried to slice at his side again, he quickly evaded her. With a swift move, he cut into the back of her shirt, causing the lower part of her top to completely fall off.

Immediately, Rey's marked abdomen and the bottom part of her left breast became exposed. With an astonished expression, she looked down on herself, and felt an extreme rage bubbling up inside her. Quickly scanning the room, she noticed everyone was watching her intently. When her eyes met the Supreme Leader's, she noticed a small, satisfied grin on his scarred face. Then she turned her attention back to the apprentice.

Standing only a few feet away from her, with awe he stared at her marked skin. Then he looked up and gazed into her accusing eyes.

 _This man was not just playing with me,_ she thought with rage, _but he also shamed me in front of everyone._ And Rey had have enough. Conjuring up the Force, she sent a powerful wave at him hoping to wipe the smug grin off his face. Sensing her move, he immediately blocked the attack. Within seconds, Rey's lightsaber was knocked out of her hand.

As her weapon flew through the air, with a quick move, he slashed at it, splitting it in half. With great astonishment, Rey watched her broken lightsaber landing on the ground.

Then she felt the floor suddenly disappearing beneath her feet. Hanging by his force field, Rey felt herself drifting closer to him.

 _Does she think she's better than me?_ Kylo Ren thought with annoyance, levitating her toward him. When she got close enough, he let go of her, but before Rey touched the ground, he grabbed her by the throat and pulled her terrified face close to his.

Feeling the soft leather against her skin made Rey shiver with trepidation. _He is going to choke me to death,_ she desperately thought, trying to take a breath that was getting harder to do as seconds went by.

Rey was fed up being treated like she was nothing. She knew she had to do something quickly before she passed out. She had to hurt him, and hurt him good and she already knew what she needed to do.

Kylo Ren's eyes grew as big as saucers, feeling her small hand crushing down on his manhood. The surprisingly intense, sharp pain that emitted through his abdomen blinded him for a second. Instantly, he let go of her.

As Rey fell to the ground she tried to catch her breath, as a loud, evil chuckle bounced off the chamber's walls.

"Bravo!" The tall man smirked, clapping his large hands together. "I see you have found your match, my dear apprentice."

Doubled over, Kylo Ren was in intolerable pain. Not just the fact that she humiliated him, but also the fact that she touched him in a way that had never happened to him before during a fight. _How dare she to do that?_ He thought with anger as his eyes found hers again.

Lying on the ground, Rey stared back at him. Slowly sitting up, she averted her gaze and looked at her broken lightsaber. She felt like crying looking at her destroyed weapon. However, she didn't want to show him or any of them how this made her feel.

Then, she heard the Supreme Leader again.

"My senses are pretty accurate. I know who you are, my dear."

Looking at him, Rey felt her pulse quicken again, then he said to her.

"How ironic is that for so long, he had tried to hide you away from everyone, and here you are now, in my home." Then with an evil, raspy laugh he added. "You definitely made my day today, Aldereya."

Hearing her name from his lips was a great surprise. _He knows who I am,_ Rey thought astounded.

He then signaled two of the soldiers to pick her up. But before Rey was taken away, he said to her.

"Don't worry, you will be my guest of honor while you are staying here." Then he added. "Take her to my chamber and make sure she is cleaned up and dressed properly."

Then she was dismissed and escorted out of the chamber.

When they left, Snoke turned to his apprentice and mockingly said.

"She's got you by the balls my friend. What a shame."

Kylo Ren didn't needed to be reminded of that. The aftermath of her painful touch was still lingering within his body. Quickly suppressing the anger he felt at that moment, he looked at his Master and was about to say something when he swiftly cut in.

"Now that I finally found her, I have an important job for you."

With anticipation, Kylo Ren was waiting on what he was about to say.

"Make sure she is safe. I want you to keep her close and keep her interested by any means necessary." Then he added with a sly grin. "She has the potential to be more than you'd ever be."

Kylo Ren's expression quickly changed hearing those words. He hated the thought that this girl, this nobody had got the better of him. His pride was utterly crushed.

"My Master, who is she?" He wanted to know why this girl was so special.

"She is extremely valuable. Be certain she is treated with excellence." Then he added as he dismissed him. "Do not disappoint me."

Bowing his head, Kylo Ren picked up his helmet and her broken weapon and left the room.

Being alone in the elevator, his crazed fueled mind was in great turmoil. Looking at his helmet, with extreme anger, he smashed it against the wall, instantly crushing it. Then his eyes landed on her weapon. He wanted nothing more than to throw it away. However, in the last second he changed his mind.

This lightsaber was important enough to her that to keep her happy and satisfied, he would have no choice but to help her rebuild it or build another one. Taking a few deep breaths, he slowly calmed himself down. Then stepping out of the elevator, he headed toward the Supreme Leader's chamber.

The expensively decorated and lavishly furnished bedchamber amazed Rey. She had never seen anything like this in her whole life. The large room was beautifully decorated with golden statues of all kinds. The deep red embroidered curtain was halfway closed, blocking out the beautiful view of space. The mosaic tiles that covered the floor gave Rey a shiver down her spine. In the middle of the room, laid in a unique pattern was a large circle. The two halves of the circle were different colors. One side was black with a tiny amount of white in it, while the other side was white with a tiny amount of black in it. _It looks mesmerizing,_ Rey thought with awe.

Standing in the doorway, one of the soldiers nudged her in and then closed the door. Rey's frightened eyes looked at them both standing behind her, blocking the only escape route she could have used.

Then reaching up, one of them removed their helmet, exposing a pretty, strawberry blonde woman beneath the ugly mask.

"You are a woman?" Rey asked with astonishment.

"Yes. Why? What did you expect?" The pretty blonde replied.

Rey was about to say something, when the other one too removed the helmet. Behind the mask, there was another woman, and not just any woman, but a Nightsister. Her shaved, pale gray head and special facial markings immediately gave her origins away. Her bright blue eyes curiously sized Rey up. Then, placing her mask down, she said to Rey.

"So, who are you?"

"I was going to ask the same." Rey replied with defiance. She couldn't believe that a Nightsister was working for that evil man.

"Oh well." The Nightsister amusingly said. "My name is Asajj Ventress. As you see, I am also a Nightsister, just like you."

"What are you doing here?" Rey accusingly asked.

"This is my home." Asajj replied with a firm tone.

"Your home?" Rey asked incredibly, and then she added. "How could you say that?" However, she quickly had to remind herself that there was no other home for her or for this woman anymore. _My father made sure of that,_ she thought with irritation.

"I like it here and with time, you will too." Asajj replied with a sly grin. Averting her eyes from her, Rey looked at the other woman and asked.

"Do you know where they took my friends?"

Arching up one of her perfectly plucked auburn eyebrows, she looked at Rey and with a wicked smile, she said.

"Indeed I do, but you won't be able to see them."

"Why is that?" Rey asked, feeling annoyed by these two already.

"Such a highly regarded person as yourself would never be able to set foot in the place where they are kept." The pretty blonde replied.

"What do you mean by that?" Rey asked again, feeling the anger rising within her.

"Do you know why you are here and still alive?" Asajj asked.

Rey was aware of why she was still alive, but she still didn't know why she was here in the Supreme Leader's bedchamber. Suddenly, an extremely scary thought invaded her mind. _Oh, NO! NO!_ She thought, as her mind screamed like there was no tomorrow. Quickly looking around, her eyes landed on the large, comfortable looking bed and her heart immediately skipped a beat. Swallowing hard, her frightened eyes looked back at the women and with a shaky voice she said.

"Oh Maker, please don't tell me he wants me to..." Then her voice faltered, when Asajj spoke up.

"If I were you I wouldn't worry about that." Then with a smug grin she said. "Our Supreme Leader has no desire for your flesh. Believe me."

Hearing that an extreme relief washed over Rey's face.

"Then what does he want with me?" Rey asked, looking from Asajj to the other woman.

"You'll find out soon." Asajj replied. Then she motioned for Rey to take her clothes off. As Rey removed her satchel, the other woman asked.

"What's in there?"

Instantly Rey's hand froze. Slowly placing the satchel down and hoping there would be no further investigation about the contents of her bag, she said.

"Just books I like to read."

Realizing that none of them really cared about her reading habits, to Rey's relief, their attention quickly ventured away from her bag.

Placing the rest of her clothes on the top of her satchel, she stood there nude, while their eyes curiously sized her up.

Then, suddenly there was a loud knock on the door.

Instantly, Rey's hands flew up to cover herself.

"Go and find out who that is." Asajj said to the other woman.

While Rey was quickly escorted into the bathroom, the pretty blonde opened the door to see Kylo Ren standing on the other side.

"Hello Ben." She said amusingly, while her bright green eyes curiously sized him up.

"I told you Shae. Don't call me that anymore." His face looked calm, but she knew inside he was fuming. There was a time, when he was fun to be around, but he was also very unpredictable, which Shae didn't like. That is why she stopped seeing him. What it seemed like, her decision to leave him didn't affect him at all.

"Is she ready yet?" He impatiently asked.

"Not yet." She replied. Then she added. "Do you mind waiting?"

Being patient was not his virtue, but he didn't want her to see his extreme annoyance with the new guest. Slightly nodding his head, he said.

"I don't mind at all."

"Come in and take a seat then." She said with a wide smile, as she motioned him to step inside.

Walking inside, he stopped at the chair where Rey's torn up clothes were placed. Looking at her clothes, he noticed her brown bag was neatly tucked underneath them.

Then he heard Shae again.

"I have to leave and get a proper outfit for our new guest."

With that, she was out the door leaving Kylo Ren alone in the chamber.

When she was gone, he reached down and was about to lift up her satchel, when the bathroom door opened and Asajj with Rey walked out. Wrapped in a large deep red towel, Rey's wide eyes locked onto Kylo Ren's and with an astonished face, she asked.

"What are you doing here?"

From the towel, his eyes landed on her shapely legs and then to her small feet. Quickly averting his eyes, he looked at the floor and said.

"I was instructed by Master to keep you company."

"Do what?" Rey asked not believing her ears. _He wanted this man to keep her company?_ Rey was in shock.

"I'm also not thrilled about this arrangement, but I do follow orders." He said while his eyes looked into hers.

"Then we are in a mutual agreement." Rey spat back, not wanting to talk to him at all.

Asajj looked from Kylo Ren to Rey and with an amused expression she made a comment.

"You two are fighting like a married couple."

Instantly, Rey accusingly looked at the smiling Nightsister. Then, with a sigh, she said.

"I'm already married."

"And which Zabrak is your mate?" She asked with anticipation.

"The red one." Rey said, feeling already sad just thinking about Maul.

"Oh… really?" Asajj asked while a great relief coursed through her body. Then she quickly added. "Well, unfortunately, you won't be able to see him again."

"No." Rey firmly said. "You're wrong. I will see him again."

With a small smile, the Nightsister turned away from her and looked toward Kylo Ren. Stepping away from Rey and before she left the room, she turned around and said.

"Welcome to your new life."

Then she was out the door, leaving them alone.

As the door closed, Rey immediately felt uncomfortable under his intense stare.

 _Why does he have to look at me like that?_ She annoyingly thought, feeling uneasy by his presence.

Without saying a word, he placed her broken lightsaber on the table, and then he looked at her bag again. He wondered what she had in there. He remembered seeing it on her when they were fighting, but until now it hadn't occurred to him what might be hidden inside.

Watching him gazing at her bag, Rey knew she had to do something before he finds out what was in it. Quickly, she spoke up.

"So, what am I supposed to do while I'm staying here?"

Looking up, he said.

"I can show you around and also if you want to I can help you rebuild your weapon."

"Really?" She asked with mockery. "Would you do that for me?"

Ignoring the tone of her voice, he said as calmly as he could.

"Yes I would."

As they stood there looking at each other, an awkward silence enveloped the chamber. Rey wanted to ask him about Maul and Savage, but she wasn't sure if he would even tell her where they were kept. And thinking about fighting him again was just not the greatest idea. He was definitely stronger and quicker than her. And on top of that, she lost her weapon and he still had his. And that was definitely a lose situation for her. Also, she was completely naked under the towel, which would have had resulted her being shamed even further. _I'm definitely not fighting nude,_ she thought, as the door opened and Shae walked in. Placing the folded clothes and boots on the table, with a sly smile she looked at Kylo Ren and then she left the room again.

While he waited in the room, after picking up her bag with the rest of her clothes, Rey went into the bathroom to get dressed.

As she stepped out of the bathroom, he quickly sized her up. Wearing a fitted dark gray top and charcoal pants, with a wide chestnut leather belt that matched her knee high boots, _she looked amazingly good,_ he thought with awe. He also noticed her satchel was back, hanging low on her hips.

Quickly getting up and opening the door he motioned her to go ahead. When he closed the door, she worriedly asked.

"Am I staying in here with him?"

Looking at her face, he playfully asked.

"Would you like that?"

"No." She replied quickly. "Not at all."

"Let me show you to your room then." He said. Walking in front of her, he took her to a different wing that was also lavishly decorated.

Strangely, _there was no one on this side of the ship,_ Rey thought with confusion. Only a pleasantly low humming sound was heard in the stillness of the corridor as they came upon a dead end. There were two doors across from each other. Pointing to the one on the right, he said.

"This is my room."

Then pointing to the other one, he said.

"And this will be yours."

With a sarcastic tone, she spoke up.

"How convenient."

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Then letting out a frustrated sigh, he turned to her and said.

"It's getting late. Stay in your room. I'll see you in the morning."

"What about if I don't want to stay in my room?" Rey asked with defiance, while her hazel eyes deeply penetrated into his.

Stepping closer, and with a wicked grin, he asked.

"The red one, right?"

With confusion, Rey looked at him and asked.

"Why are you asking that?"

Searching her face, he calmly said, as he placed her weapon into her hands. "If you even think about doing something unwise, the first thing I would do is to go to him and kill him myself."

Taking a couple of shallow breaths, with wide eyes, she looked at him and then slightly nodding her head, she turned away and stepped into her room.

Watching her disappearing behind the door, Kylo Ren let out a shaky, frustrated breath. Then he walked up to his room and went inside. His troubled thoughts took him to the upcoming days and weeks, when he has to parade her around not just on the Supremacy, but eventually on Starkiller base and as well on Ilum when they arrive.

The next day Rey found out they were headed toward a planet called Ilum. This planet supplied their Starkiller base with its rare minerals. The small moon was actually a military base with an extremely powerful weapon. When she asked Kylo Ren about it, his answers were always quite short and boring. It seemed like everytime she asked him a question, he was annoyed and uninterested. Taking advantage of her situation, Rey loved to bug him about anything and everything.

She also met the Supreme Leader again. In her second encounter with him, he was pleasantly nice to her. She also found out that her father was his rival, which didn't surprise her at all. But because he stayed within the Unknown Regions, and her father stayed within his Empire, they mutually respected each other's boundaries. Still, he did not trust her father, or anyone associated with his Empire, therefore he preferred to stay on his Supremacy that was in constant motion.

The unfriendly red guards that surrounded him always made Rey feel strange, every time she looked at them. However, the black uniformed soldiers that were led by Kylo Ren were friendlier. They called themselves the Knights of Ren, which Rey thought sounded perfectly in tune with their personalities. There were only two women among them, Asajj and Shae.

Even though during the day Rey looked chatty and content, however when night came and she laid her head on her pillow, she cried like a child. She had no idea what was going on with Maul and Savage. They could have been dead by now as far as she knew. However, somehow she sensed they were still alive and somewhere on the ship. She wondered what the Supreme Leader was planning to do with them. She missed them both terribly. Many times when she had asked about them, the answers were always the same. She was not allowed to see them. And that gave her an extreme feeling of grief and anger. Also, the Jedi texts needed to be delivered. But not being able to get away, she had no idea when she was able to do that.

Lying in bed and hugging the covers, she silently cried into her pillow thinking about Maul. She missed him terribly, and wished he were here with her. She missed his strong arms and his solemn tattooed face. She missed the small house hidden deep within the woods on Dathomir. She wanted to go back there and live her life with Maul.

She hated this place. She wished she could just blow that small moon and the ship out of the sky. Feeling extremely tired and upset, she eventually dozed off. A few minutes later, her door slowly and quietly opened. A tall shadow of a man walked in and approached her bed.

Sitting down on the edge of her bed, Snoke watched her sleeping form. _She looks just like her mother,_ he thought as his large hand gently swiped a lock of hair from her forehead. Then, placing his hand over her head, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the Force.

When he opened his eyes, he looked at her nightstand. Quietly opening the bottom drawer, he pulled out her satchel. Opening it, he looked inside. With a small grin he closed the satchel and placed it back into the drawer. Then after watching her for a few seconds longer, he got up and left the room.

Kylo Ren couldn't fall asleep. He tossed and turned in his bed. Even though he had more urgent matters to think about, his troubled mind always came back to her. _The arch enemy's daughter, and the girl with the million annoying questions,_ he amusingly thought. Yes, she was pretty to look at; still she could piss him off in a matter of seconds with her attitude or her strange and sometimes uncommon questionings. However, he still enjoyed her company. Even though he didn't want to admit it, not even to himself, slowly he felt himself falling for her.

Then he heard a noise coming from outside. Getting up, he walked to his door. Quietly, he cracked the door open just to see his Master leaving Rey's bedchamber.

With a surprised expression, he watched his Master walking down the dimly lit corridor. Closing the door, for a few seconds, he stood in his room, dumbstruck. Then opening his door again, he stepped outside.

Standing in front of her room, he hesitated to go inside. He wasn't sure what he would find in there. Contemplating by her bedchamber, he quickly made up his mind and quietly opened the door.

It took him a few seconds to get his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room. Then slowly walking to her bed, he saw her peacefully sleeping. Scanning the room, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Everything looked as it should be.

Kneeling at the bed, he watched her. One of her arms was tightly tucked under her head, while the other loosely grabbed onto her blanket. Her white nightgown was slightly pulled up, showing off one of her shapely thighs. Looking at her like this gave Kylo Ren a surge of excitement. Suddenly, he wanted to reach out and touch her. As his hand slowly closed on her leg, in her sleep, she mumbled something. Stopping for a second, he retracted his hand and leaned closer.

Placing his ear close to her mouth, he heard her again.

"I love you." She whispered into his ear.

Her words surprised him, but he was certain she wasn't dreaming about him.

Feeling her warm breath tickling his skin, he knew if he doesn't leave right now, he would do something that was completely out of character.

As he was about to get up, he felt her hand enclosing on his forearm. Swiftly turning his face toward hers, with relief, he noticed she was still sleeping. Then her hand slid up on his arm toward his shoulder. Cupping his face into her hand, she pulled him closer and lightly kissed him.

Feeling her soft, enticing lips on his, Kylo closed his eyes and deepened the kiss, savoring the sweetness of her lips and tongue. The great excitement that coursed through his body, instantly awoke something within him. He wanted to take her and have her, but what he was doing right now was unethical and wrong on all levels.

Breaking the kiss, he gently placed her hand back on the blanket and slowly stood up. Then he turned around and walked outside, covering the noticeable bulge on the front of his trousers.

Inside his room, he dropped down on his bed. Laying flat on his stomach his mind kept bringing up the tender kiss they had just shared moments ago. Slowly grinding himself into the soft mattress, he imagined it was her beautiful body beneath his. Then he stopped. Quickly pulling himself together, he turned around and stared at the ceiling. Rubbing his hand over his face, he blew out a frustrated sigh and wondered what his Master was doing in her room. He truly hoped he wasn't doing anything like what just happened between her and him.

 **Hi everyone! I can't believe how many of you love this story! Thank you for your support! Reviews are always welcome! And May the 4th be with you!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10.**

The cell was small, but large enough for the two of them. Staring at the polished ground, Maul let out a frustrated sigh. It had been two weeks since they were confined to this prison cell, and he hated it with passion. The promise he had made to Rey at their departure was still ringing in his ears. However, he was not able to deliver on it.

As he sat on his bed, he looked at the thick, impenetrable glass wall that made up one side of their cell, which gave them no privacy. There was always someone watching. When the first time he examined the walls, he noticed embedded inside the glass were tiny black stones, which Maul found quite unusual. Many times when they tried to break out, their attempts always ended badly. Also, there was something here that blocked their force powers. As much as they tried to use the Force to aid their escape, for some reason it was impossible to do. And shear muscle power was just not enough to break through the cell's door or walls.

Burying his face in his hands, he took a deep breath and tried to collect his thoughts. Maul knew that this was just a beginning of something much bigger to come. He sensed they were left unharmed for a reason. He just didn't know what the reasoning behind it was, _but soon,_ he thought, _soon we will find out._

Running his hands over his head, he lightly touched the stump that was once his horn. Instant anger fueled his mind. _I will kill you for this coward,_ he thought with rage, thinking about the man who hid behind his silver fused mask. Even though, Maul thought of him as a coward, he also knew he was stronger than him and that pissed him off even more. _Once I get out,_ he thought with determination, _I will find a way to kill you and your Master as well._ But, the most troubling thoughts that came to his mind were none other than Rey.

He had no idea what happened to her. However, he sensed she was still alive and still on this ship. He truly hoped she was unharmed. While being locked up here, his thoughts were on her most of the time. Every time he thought of her, he realized how much he missed her and how much he worried about her. These sweet but torturous thoughts were interrupted by the smooth sound of the outer door, as it opened. It was time for them to receive their daily meal.

Around the corner, a dark figure appeared holding a tray. Behind the mask, a female voice drifted through the thick glass wall.

"Hello Savage."

Instantly, Savage, who was lying on his bed, sat up and stared at the woman.

Looking at the dark figure and then back to Savage, Maul could see his facial expression had tremendously changed. For a split second he looked like a scared boy, instead of a great warrior. Then Savage's mouth opened and was about to say something, when the woman after placing down the tray, removed her strange mask and said.

"I'm glad to see you again."

A great shock and surprise enveloped Savage's face. Quickly he sprung up and fast paced approached the glass barrier.

Standing in front of the woman, his eyes curiously sized her up. Then placing his hands on the glass, he leaned forward and in a deep voice he growled.

"I wish I could say the same."

Pulling up one of her eyebrows, she clicked her tongue a few times and then with a sweet, teasing voice she spoke up.

"Please, don't be mad at me….my love."

"Is this who I think it is?" Maul's voice was heard behind Savage.

Closing his eyes, Savage let out a deep frustrated sigh. Then opening them again, he looked at Asajj and said.

"Yes it's her."

Maul had never met Asajj, but he knew of her and he knew what she had done to Savage and that is why he barely talked about her. He knew when she left him, Savage's life turned around for the worse becoming bitter and withdrawn.

Looking at her, Maul didn't see the striking beauty that Savage had described. She looked like any other Nightsister. Her pale gray skin was marked in a very traditional Dathomirian way. Still, there was something else, something slightly disturbing in her bright blue eyes, as she looked at Maul and said with a sly smile.

"You are Maul, right?"

When he didn't reply, she mockingly added.

"Your wife is a pretty little thing."

Hearing about Rey, Maul jumped up and stood beside Savage. With flaring nostrils, his stared into her eyes and growled.

"Where is she?"

"She is alive and well." Asajj casually replied. Then she added with a grin. "Don't worry about her. She is in good hands."

Then Savage asked.

"What are you doing here?"

Tearing her eyes away from Maul, she looked at Savage and said.

"I brought you lunch."

"Don't play with me Asajj." Savage warned. "Why are you here?"

Stepping closer, she placed her hands on the other side of the glass where his hands were resting. Then tilting her head up, she looked into his accusing eyes and said with a smooth tone.

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Anyway, you are in no position to ask me about anything."

"And this is the woman you mewled about?" Maul murmured with distaste looking from her to Savage.

"She was different then." Savage quickly replied gazing into her eyes.

"Yes you are right about that." She replied staring back at him. "But that was a long time ago, and now times have changed."

"Why are they keeping us here?" Maul asked. He wanted to know if she was able to answer some questions.

Turning her gaze on Maul, she said.

"You'll find out very soon. I actually came here to wish you good luck." Then she added. "You will need it in the Arena."

"Arena?" Both men spoke up in unison.

"What are you talking about Asajj?" Savage asked, staring at her with confusion.

Stepping away from the glass, she picked up the tray and placed it inside the little metal compartment that was attached to the main door. After locking the compartment, on their side of the door a small opening appeared, letting the tray through.

"Enjoy your meals boys." She chimed as she placed her mask back on. Then before any of them could ask another question from her, she swiftly disappeared from their view.

Following her with his eyes, Maul took a deep breath in. Then exhaling, he looked at Savage, who was still gazing through the glass. After a few seconds of silence, Maul spoke up.

"Don't tell me you're still in love with her? Because if you are, I'll beat you with my own damn hands right here, right now."

"Oh, brother. I wish it was that simple." Savage replied with a tired smile.

After all these years, to see Asajj again brought up memories that Savage buried deep and never wanted to think about again. But seeing her was something totally unexpected. He thought she was long dead. He wished he could have grabbed her, shook her and ask her why she had ran away? However, she seemed a bit nervous and slightly strange to him. Turning toward the tray, Savage grabbed it and placed it on the table.

Suddenly, he started to mash the food. Maul looked at him with confusion, and then he asked.

"What are you doing?"

Without saying a word, Savage kept smashing the food, until he found what he was looking for. From the food that looked very uninviting now, Savage pulled out a small object.

After cleaning it off, Maul realized it was a small rectangular key of sorts.

A wide smile appeared on Savage's solemn face. Looking at Maul, he said in a low voice.

"I knew it."

Puzzled, Maul looked at Savage and asked.

"What are you so happy about?"

Holding up the key in front of Maul's face, Savage asked.

"You see this?"

"Yes." Maul replied, perplexed.

"She still cares about me." Savage beamed.

"What makes you so certain?" Maul replied with a frown.

"This key." Savage started. "Will help us to get out of here."

"What does it open?" Maul asked with annoyance. He didn't think this tiny key would open their door anytime soon.

"I have no idea." Savage said, placing the object into Maul's hand.

Holding it up, Maul turned it in his hand and looked at the scribing on its side. It said one thing. _Collar_

Taking the key back from Maul, and after reading its content, Savage asked.

"What do you think _Collar_ means?"

"I have no idea, but I think we'll find out soon." Maul replied feeling disturbed by this special gift from Savage's lady friend.

Savage was about to reply when the outer door opened again and several of the Knights of Ren marched in. As one of them opened up the cell, the others quickly surrounded the two prisoners. Holding their weapons ready, one of them ordered Maul and Savage to place their hands in front of them.

Quickly, Savage placed the key between his thick fingers as his arms were put into handcuffs.

When both of them were secured, they were escorted out of the cell and into a hangar, where a large spaceship was waiting.

After boarding it, Maul and Savage were placed in the back with several guards. Amongst them, hiding behind their masks were Asajj and Shae, watching the two prisoners silently.

Within a few seconds, the ship smoothly elevated and took off toward a small, icy planet.

After landing on the snow-covered terrain, they were escorted into a transport vehicle. With a sudden move, the vehicle lurched forward as it took off and headed to their new destination.

As they left the ship behind, the temperature inside quickly dropped a few degrees. Outside, an icy terrain with endless snowfields covered the wide horizon. Maul's mind was in turmoil. Slowly, he sized up their surroundings. Now that they were not in their cells anymore, and on ground, he wanted to see if he was able to use the Force to be able to break out and get away. But as he tried to conjure up this precious gift, with despair, he realized he was not able to do that.

 _What is going on?_ He anxiously asked himself, not understanding why this was happening. Through their connections, he called to Savage.

 _Can you break your bonds?_

 _No brother. I can't._ Savage's voice was heard in his head.

Looking down on the handcuffs, Maul's eyes quickly scanned the metal. After a few seconds of examining them, he realized something. Both the handcuffs and the glass wall back in their cell were infused with black stones. In an instant he realized why they were not able to use the Force. Somehow this black stone absorbed their powers. And now thinking back, he remembered seeing the exact same black stone inside the tall man's ring.

 _So that is why?_ Maul thought with anger as the vehicle shook and trembled beneath their feet.

"Where are you taking us?" Savage demanded.

One of the men in front of them spoke up.

"Quite or I'll cut your tongue out."

Savage was about to reply when Maul signaled to him to stay quite.

After a good fifteen minutes of shaky ride, they arrived at a foot of a large snow capped mountain.

Driving through a large metal blast door, they were heading further down, deep into the belly of the mountain. Maul noticed the air started to warm up again as they drove deeper and deeper into the endless darkness that was lit up by the vehicle's headlights.

Soon they reached another blast door. Entering through the door and to Maul's surprise, the place they arrived at looked nothing like he had expected.

As far as he could see, there was a cluster of buildings, large and small, occupying the sand colored terrain. Hundreds of artificial lights lit up the area, mimicking the outside world. In the middle of the immense terrain, surrounded by more, smaller buildings stood an extremely large building. It's wide windows, tall walls and rich coloring reminded Maul of a casino he had once seen in the desert world of Cantonica. That place was not a place that Maul would have preferred to visit again. _And this one looked almost identical to that one,_ he thought with distaste.

There was another, much larger structure behind the casino, but as he tried to take a peek, the vehicle made a sharp left turn and headed toward the opposite side of the casino.

Entering through another but smaller gate they finally arrived to their destination, which was deep beneath the casino's grounds.

After they were escorted off the transport, Maul and Savage looked around to see an expansive underground prison that was full of men and aliens alike.

They were greeted by more guards and also another Zabrak.

His pale flesh marked with dark brown tattoos and sharp horns gave his origins away. He was an Iridonian, and somehow Maul was glad to see him here. Wearing a close fitting deep brown bodysuit with armor accents and matching gloves and boots, with a long, deep brown coat, he casually approached them.

As he stopped in front of them, his bright green eyes quickly sized the two Zabrak up. Then turning to one of the guards, he asked.

"Is that it?"

"Yes." The guard swiftly replied.

Turning his attention back to Maul and Savage, he stepped closer and introduced himself.

"My name is Kao Cen Darach. I'm the Master of Arms. From now on you'll be under my supervision. You will do as I say." Then he added, as he slowly looked them up and down. "Resisting will be futile. So please don't try anything reckless."

Darach immediately sensed their restlessness and he knew exactly how these two newcomers felt. A long time ago, in the exact same place, with an exact same look, Darach also stood silently as he listened to his Master of Arms. Quickly dismissing these old memories, he signaled one of his men to step closer.

Holding two large round metal collars, he stood in front of Savage and ordered him to bend his head lower. A quick glance was exchanged between the two brothers. Refusing to bid his orders, they were about to force Savage to his knees when one of the guards from behind spoke up.

"Let me handle this." She said as she took the collars out of the guard's hand.

Stepping in front of Savage, Asajj slightly nodded her head, signaling him to bend down.

Reluctantly, Savage bent down and allowed her to place the metal ring around his thick neck. When the device was attached to him, she removed his handcuffs. Then she did the same with Maul, who was not happy to be confined into something that was against his wishes and freedom.

Wearing the collar made Maul feel like an animal that was led to the slaughterhouse. He never felt this humiliated in his entire life, as he felt right now.

Then, they were escorted deeper into the prison. Walking through the large, brightly lit corridor, Maul noticed each and every prison cell was occupied with two prisoners of all kinds. As his eyes scanned over one of the cells, a young human male looked back at him. His pale face looked distraught, while his bright blue eyes curiously looked at Maul. There was an older human male standing behind him, who looked to be his father.

Passing their cell, they arrived to theirs. Maul was not keen to be here at all, but right now he had no choice but to comply. He hoped that by using the key she left for them, soon they would be out of here. He hoped for Savage's sake that she was not betraying them, otherwise _she'd be the first I will gut in this place,_ Maul thought with anger and anticipation, as he and Savage settled down in their temporary home.

This cell was much bigger than the one they had on the ship. It also had a glass wall that again gave them no privacy at all. However, there was a wall that divided the cell into two individual rooms. Each room had its own bed and compact bathrooms. Choosing one of the rooms, Maul slumped down on his bed and let out a frustrated sigh. Touching the collar on his neck, he wondered what this device did. Through their connection, Maul spoke to Savage. He asked him to keep the key hidden and not to use it right now. Maul was still skeptical about Asajj and he didn't want to take a chance to get killed.

Later that day, a guard brought them a tray of food. Then shortly after that, the lights were turned down, leaving them in complete darkness. Taking his shirt off, he placed it on the bed. Then lowering himself to the ground, and closing his eyes, Maul started to meditate. He needed to collect his thoughts and find a way to get out of this. And find Rey. While he meditated, somewhere above his head the distant sounds of the casino was seeping through the walls, signaling what was to come.

The next morning as they all stood in the middle of a huge room, the Master of Arms, accompanied by his guards, explained to them why they were there.

"Attention everyone!" Darach spoke up, as he slowly paced in front of the first row of prisoners. "Welcome to the city of Khoria. I know all of you want to know the real reason why you were brought here. To ease your concerns, I'm here to explain to you why you're standing in this room right now, listening to my words."

Stopping in front of one of the prisoners, who looked to be of Bothan descendant, and after sizing him up, Darach spoke again, addressing everyone.

"You are no longer a free man, but a property of the First Order. You are here because of your special skills that made you who you are today. However, in here you won't be able to use them to their full potential, like you did in the outside world. But I'll get to that in a bit."

Stepping away from him, he walked up to the next one who was an Arkanian male. His long, silver hair was set in a ponytail, reaching the small of his wide, muscular back.

Looking into his milky white eyes, Darach took a step forward and spoke up again.

"If I were you, I would wipe that arrogant look off your face."

Stepping back, his eyes found Maul's and said.

"I know most of you think of me as one of the bad guys. The guys that took your freedom away. However, at one time, I was also in your shoes. I also stood in this very room and carefully listened to my Master's instructions. I know how you feel and I know you would do just about anything to break free and get out of here."

Pointing to his neck, where he wore an exact same collar like everyone else, he said. "This device is designed to keep you here, and keep your Force abilities suppressed. If you try to remove it, believe me it would end very badly. I have seen others who managed to remove it. Not a pleasant sight to see the results of their attempts. But let me tell you something. The reason I'm still here today talking to you is because I am the best at what I do." Stepping around another prisoner he looked at the next one, and then he continued.

"I am a Master of Arms because I earned it with hard work and diligence. I am not a free man, but I achieved a position high enough, which allows me to be able to move freely in these grounds."

Taking a deep breath, he resumed.

"For those of you newcomers, if you haven't noticed, this specific facility is a playground for the rich and famous. This casino that many have been visiting for years and years, is a high entertainment for those who can afford it. This place will be your new home and also your grave as well."

His last words left a sour taste in Maul's mouth. He started to understand what this man was trying to tell them.

"All of you will be their great entertainment. Now for those of you who want to live and prosper here, be prepared for anything that comes your way. And if you are strong and savvy enough to survive each fight, you will be rewarded graciously."

Walking back toward his guards, he turned around and faced them again.

"There is no light side or dark side in this place. Forget about Jedi and Sith. We are all equal in the eyes of our maker's the Whills. Live and prosper or die. It's all up to you."

When his speech was done, everyone in the room stayed quiet. Then one of the prisoners spoke up. His loud voice carried through the stillness of the room.

"What did you do before, if you don't mind me asking?"

Turning his attention to the prisoner, Darach looked at him and spoke up.

"I was a Battlemaster of my class as a Jedi instructor." Then he asked. "And who might you be?"

The tall man spoke up again. His deep voice reverberated off the walls.

"My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I am a Jedi Master and this is my apprentice Obi Wan Kenobi." Saying that he gestured toward the young human male who stood silently beside him. "We were tricked on Coruscant and brought here. What you are saying is the reason we were brought here against our wishes is to fight to the death in this Arena?"

"You are catching up pretty fast old man." Maul spoke up with slight cynicism, looking at them both.

Staring at the red Zabrak, the young apprentice was about to open his mouth and say something back, when the older one calmly placed his hand on his shoulders and said in a low voice.

"Don't let him get to you, young one."

Composing himself, the young apprentice nodded his head, and then turned his attention back to the Master of Arms.

"To answer your question Qui-Gon Jinn. Yes, you and your friend are here for that exact reason. However, don't forget, you are no longer a Jedi or an apprentice. You are just a man who needs to stay alive long enough to earn your new place within this city."

 _Looked like his answers didn't satisfy the man or his young companion,_ Maul thought watching them both. However, his aging stern face barely showed any emotions as he looked calm and composed, while the other one nervously looked around and found Maul's eyes again.

Staring at each other, Maul felt an instant dislike of this young Jedi. There was something about him that bothered him. _He will be the first to die,_ Maul thought with a smug grin, still locking eyes with him.

"In a few minutes." Darach spoke up again. "You will be escorted into the Arena, and introduced to the crowd. After the introduction, four of you will be selected to honor the first fight of this season."

Leaving the room, they walked down a long, narrow corridor toward a large metal door. Somewhere behind the door, Maul could hear an immense crowd, screaming and shouting, laughing and whistling.

Turning to Savage, Maul spoke to him through their connection.

 _We stay together and we fight together._

 _Yes, brother we will._ Savage replied.

As soon as the door opened, they were greeted with loud exuberant cheering from the waiting crowd.

One-by-one they all set foot on the ground of the extremely big and lavishly decorated Arena.

Quickly scanning the crowd, Maul immediately noticed their elegant and richly decorated outfits and their peculiar and ridiculous head pieces that mostly their female companions wore. A sudden anger and disgust engulfed Maul's mind. He wanted to lash out and burn this place down to the ground. He has been in many places before and had seen many things, but never anything like this. They were out for blood, and this was clearly written on everyone's faces around them.

This place felt truly repulsive, as he watched the riches of the galaxy toasting with their expensive cocktails, while engaging in their superficial and dull conversations. Instantly, Maul felt a desire to kill them all. But as his anger fueled eyes looked around the crowd, they landed on a person for whom he thought he may never see again.

Rey's wide hazel eyes locked onto Maul's. Breathing hard and shallow, she felt like she was going to pass out from a mixture of fear and excitement that she was experiencing at that moment. She couldn't believe her eyes. Maul was here with Savage. An instant happiness coursed through her body. Finally, after all these weeks, she found out what happened to them. They were still alive and well and that was a bittersweet sight for her to see. Yes, she was extremely happy to see them again, but on the other hand, she knew why they were here, and that thought tremendously upset her.

With her dark brown hair up in a bun and wearing an elegant deep blue satin strapless dress, she looked truly beautiful, Maul thought with awe. Her wide eyes full of worry and relief intently gazed at him. Letting out a relieved sigh, Maul was happy to see her again. _She is here,_ and this knowledge gave him a boost of hope to leave this place and hold her in his arms again. Then, his eyes landed on a tall, young man, who walked up behind her and gently touched her bare shoulders. Leaning closer, he whispered something into her ear. A thin smile appeared on Rey's face listening to him.

In a split second, Maul's mind went dark with rage and jealousy. He had no idea who that person was. But from the looks of it, he seemed extremely friendly with Rey. _Too friendly,_ Maul thought with irritation.

Then suddenly the crowd quieted down. On the same podium that Rey shared with her tall, handsome new friend, Maul noticed six of the red guards entered, while their leader in his golden robes followed them in.

Taking a seat in the large throne that occupied the middle of the podium, his deep-set eyes proudly looked through the crowd. Then his attention turned to the prisoners that stood in the middle of the fighting pit.

Turning to the tall, handsome companion, he signaled him to go ahead to address the crowd.

Stepping in front, Kylo Ren quickly scanned the group of prisoners. Then, his eyes landed on Maul and Savage. Staring at Maul a sly grin appeared on his face. Then he looked at Darach, who stood in front of the prisoners.

Respectfully bowing his head, Darach looked him in the eyes and then taking a few steps back, and signaling to his guards, they stood aside.

"Welcome everyone!" Kylo Ren's strong voice called out.

"I'm honored to welcome you all once again to our Games of Galactic Combats. We have acquired some new and skillful warriors from all over the galaxy for your amusement. As you all know, your presence and participation in these games are greatly appreciated by Supreme Leader Snoke."

Saying that, the crowd once again grew loud as they all clapped and cheered at the mentioning of their leader.

Then signaling to the crowd to quieten down, he continued.

"As usual, I will select four warriors to fight in pairs against each other."

Scanning his eyes over the prisoners, he selected the tall Arkanian and the menacing looking Bothan. Signaling them, they both stepped in front of the others, staring up at the podium.

Looking down on the two Jedi, Kylo Ren spoke up again.

"What are your names?"

The tall Arkanian spoke up first. His self-satisfied voice was full of proudness, as he looked over Kylo Ren's shoulders, addressing the Supreme Leader himself.

"My Lord. They call me Arca Jeth. I am a Jedi master of my race."

While Snoke respectfully acknowledge him, the crowd cheered up again. Then he turned his attention to the other one.

"My name is Kai Hudorra." The wolf looking alien spoke up. "I am also a Jedi master of my race."

Again, the crowd cheered as he acknowledged him with a nod. Then, Snoke signaled Kylo Ren to resume.

With a sly smile, Kylo Ren spoke up again, as his eyes found Maul's and then Savage's.

"You two Zabraks." He pointed at them. "Step closer." He ordered them.

Sharing a quick glance between each other, they stepped out of line and stood beside the two Jedi, gazing upon the balcony.

"What are your names?" Kylo Ren asked, even though, he already knew who they were.

Savage spoke up first. "My name is Savage Opress. I am son of Dathomir a Zabrak warrior."

As he finished his introduction, the Arena once again engulfed with the loud cheering from the vast crowd.

Now it was Maul's turn.

Staring into Kylo Ren's face, a sly smile appeared on his tattooed face. Then looking past him, his eyes found Rey's. Suddenly Maul's calm voice echoed through her head.

 _Don't worry. I'll come and get you. And this time I will._

 _Please Maul._ Rey pleaded. _Stay alive._

Nodding his head, Maul turned his attention back to Kylo Ren. With a strong voice he spoke up.

"I am Darth Maul, son of Dathomir, a proud Zabrak warrior and a true Sith Lord. After I win this ridiculous game that you call Galactic Combats, Maul chuckled, I will come and find you and gut you in front of everyone. Hear my words, coward."

Maul's eyes burned with fire looking upon the dark apprentice. As he watched him earlier talking to the crowd, Maul realized, this was the same man who he fought on the ship. He was the man behind the mask. It seemed like it wasn't enough for him to humiliate Maul by beating him in a short-lived fight, he had also set his sights on his mate, and this was just unacceptable to Maul.

Ignoring Maul's words and without saying anything, Kylo Ren signaled Darach and his men to remove the rest of the prisoners out of the fighting pit. Then, when everyone left, two of his guards approached Kylo Ren and presented him with a medium sized chest.

Opening the chest, and after a few seconds of searching, he took out two lightsabers and placed them in front of him on the rim of the stone railing. Then he reached in again and took out two more and placed them beside the others. Looking through the weapons, he picked up one of them and said to the Arkanian.

"I believe this belongs to you."

But before he tossed it to the Jedi, he warned them all.

"If you are stupid enough to do anything other than fighting each other, I will gladly activate the device self destruct mode on the devices around your necks."

When they all nodded in agreement, Kylo Ren tossed each weapon to its designated owner.

Feeling the cold metal beneath his fingertips, Maul felt alive again. He missed his weapon as much as he missed Rey. Looking at his brother, his face told everything. Savage was as happy as he could be, holding his double-edged lightsaber as a wide, satisfied grin appeared on his face.

"To Honor the Whills" Kylo Ren spoke up again. "We would like to introduce two more special guests for this opening round."

 _Two more guests?_ Rey thought with exasperation, already feeling angry with him choosing Maul and Savage. _What else is coming?_ She thought, holding onto her temples with shaking hands.

"Enjoy the show!" Kylo Ren shouted as part of the fighting pit's ground opened up and from below a large platform emerged with two individual cages. Inside were two angry Rancors raging against the cage, ready to be pounce on the waiting warriors.

Quickly pairing up, and activating their weapons, both parties stared each other down. Maul knew they had no choice but to fight against not just the Jedi, but also the Rancors as well.

Weapons ready, Maul jumped up and made the first move.

To be continued...

 **Thank you everyone! I'm so overjoyed that you like my story :D Like always, reviews are welcome! I know I brought some Old Republic characters in. I love Kao Cen Darach and I wanted to bring him into my story. I'm also planning to bring in a few more characters from that era. So be ready for an awesome ride. Thank you again for your great support!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11.**

The Bothan Jedi immediately blocked Maul's attack. There was a loud electrical charge as the two lightsabers collided. Then quickly spinning around, Maul twisted his body and kicked the Bothan's legs out from under him. With a loud thud, the Bothan warrior went down. However, as soon as he hit the ground, he immediately pushed himself up and slashed at Maul with all his fury.

While Maul was occupied, Savage ran toward one of the Rancor's that stepped out of the cage. Spinning his weapon above his head, and with a high jump, he aimed at the midsection of the beast, trying to finish this quick. But before he had the chance to cut deeply into his stomach, the Rancor swiftly swept his large hands in front of him, sending Savage flying through the air. Landing on his back, Savage quickly got up and looked at the beast coming at him with a loud, angry roar.

Charging at him once again, and with a few quick strides, Savage reached the animal. As he spun around, he quickly ducked down and cut deeply into one of his legs. An extremely loud and painful roar enveloped the Arena's ground.

At the same time, the crowd screamed and shouted as the other Rancor fought with the tall Arkanian, whose lightsaber also made its way into the soft flesh of the enormous animal.

However, his fight was short lived. As he spun around to get away from the beast, the animal grabbed hold of his long hair and pulled him up. With ease, the Rancor ripped him in half and shoved his upper body into his extremely large mouth. Instantly, a mixture of loud shouting with blaring laughs burst from the crowd. Many guests showed amazed and disgusted expressions, as they watched the Arkanian's body disappearing into the mouth of the beast.

While the animal was occupied with his new and tasty meal, Savage managed to get onto the back of the already injured one. Carefully balancing on the muscular shoulders of the animal, he raised his weapon high and with full strength, he plunged his lightsaber into the back of the Rancor's neck, instantly severing his spinal cord. An ear-splitting scream followed, as the red glow of his weapon disappeared into the animal's flesh. Then, the large body lurched forward and with an extremely loud thud, it shook the ground of the Arena, followed by more shouts and gleeful screams from the highly entertained crowd. Quickly jumping off the dead animal and landing on his feet, Savage's attention suddenly focused on Maul who looked like was having a difficult time trying to defeat the Bothan Jedi.

 _This old Jedi is giving me a hard time,_ Maul thought with anger as he skillfully sidestepped another one of his opponent's powerful advances. Without the Force, Maul had no choice, but to rely solely on his skills and raw muscle powers. And that was not as easy as he thought. Even though years of training left him strong and in a superb physical condition, this older Jedi was an unexpected opponent. Several times he came very close to carving Maul up. The shearing blaze of his green lightsaber grazed Maul's black tunic as he kept dancing around the furious Jedi. Then his eyes landed on Savage, who sped toward them.

However, that quick glance almost cost him his life, when Maul felt the extreme heat of the blade as it touched his left arm, just above his elbow. With gritted teeth, Maul swiftly stepped back and almost collided with Savage, who without stopping slammed into the Bothan Jedi with great force.

As the two bodies collided, the crowd erupted once again with roars and loud whistles. Sprawled on the ground, and losing his weapon, the Jedi tried to push off Savage, but with no success.

Wrapping his long fingers around the Jedi's fur covered neck, and putting all his strength into it, Savage started to suffocate the life out of the Bothan warrior.

"Brother, watch out!" Maul yelled noticing the other Rancor heading their way.

Quickly, extending his arm, Maul instinctively wanted to call the Bothan's lightsaber to him, but then realizing he had no control over his Force powers, scowling, he rushed to pick it up as the large beast quickly closed on them.

As the last ragged breath left the Bothan's mouth, Savage swiftly pushed himself off and rushed to help Maul, who was already slashing at the large animal.

While watching everything unfolding in front of her eyes, Rey's pulse heightened to a level she never knew existed. Tightly clutching the side of her chair, her eyes fixated on the two Zabrak who were bravely fighting with the menacing looking animals that were like the ones on Dathomir. Then her eyes landed on Kylo Ren who sat beside her and was intently watching the gory games. His young face looked calm, but beneath that calmness was slight apprehension that Rey was able to pick up. Then her eyes landed on his gloved hands that were placed on top of his thighs in a tight fist pulling the black leather material extremely taut on his hands. Feeling her gaze on him, Kylo Ren turned toward Rey. With a swift move, he grabbed her right hand, and pulled her closer until her hand rested on his wide chest, just above his heart.

With wide eyes, Rey looked at him and she was about to say something when he spoke up.

"Can you feel it?" He asked, gazing into her eyes.

When she nodded her head, he said in a hushed tone.

"When you are near me, I can't control it."

Looking at him, a momentary confusion took over Rey. In the past few weeks while they spent time together, Rey noticed his demeanor had greatly changed toward her. He was acting differently and this was something Rey had found somewhat disturbing. She sensed that he was attracted to her, but she always made sure not to encourage him to think more than an acquaintance of her. However, her attempts to steer him away didn't seem to work. Now sitting next to him and staring into his longing eyes, she felt intensely uncomfortable.

Quickly, she tried to pull her hand away, but he held her tight.

"Why...are you...telling me this?" Rey stuttered, then avoiding his gaze, she glanced toward the fighting pit where at last, Maul and Savage triumphed over the large beast. The animal's painful squeal loudly rang in Rey's ears, while she let out a relieved sigh. The extreme anxiety she had felt earlier dissipated, as she watched them standing proudly in the middle of the fighting pit, surrounded by the defeated ones.

Then she heard Kylo Ren's cynical voice.

"Looks like you're soon to be ex husband," deeply pronouncing the last word, "is surprisingly resilient."

Snapping her head toward him, she accusingly looked at him and said.

"What are you talking about?"

A thin smile appeared on his face. Then pulling her hand up to his face and still gazing into her eyes, he planted a soft kiss on the top of her hand. Then he said something that left Rey flabbergasted.

"Marry me."

The sudden exhaustion that came over Maul was just overwhelming. Looking at Savage, who was covered with blood and gore, and shaking his horned head, Maul cracked a smile. Then his eyes landed on the ecstatic crowd, and an unexpected proud feeling engulfed him. They all cheered for them and this _actually felt good,_ Maul thought with amusement. But as he turned around and faced the podium, instantly his temporary happiness went sour when he saw them sitting next to each other in a very intimate manner.

 _Don't you even think about it._ Savage's deep voice was heard in his head. _We'll find the way very soon to get out of here._

Maul knew Savage was right. If he doesn't trust Rey, how was he able to make their relationship work?

Nodding in agreement, he lowered his weapon and angrily kicked the head of the rancor causing the animal's long tongue to pop out of his mouth, sweeping the ground in front of Maul's boots. Tossing the Bothan's weapon onto the ground, Maul clipped his onto his wide belt and turned to face the podium again.

"I can't marry you." Rey replied feeling irritated. Then she quickly pulled her hand out of his.

"We'll talk about this later." Kylo Ren replied noticeably annoyed. Then standing up, he walked up to the edge of the podium, and looked down toward the two Zabrak.

Signaling the crowd to quiet down, he spoke up.

"You fought well." His strong voice carried over the Arena's grounds. "Our guests are pleased. Therefore, you will be rewarded for today's win."

Sitting behind him, Rey wondered what type of reward he was talking about. Glancing toward the Supreme Leader, she noticed his eyes were fixating on the fighting pit. Sensing her stare, he turned his head and looked at Rey. A thin smile appeared on his scarred face. Then, he turned his attention back toward Maul and Savage.

There was something disturbing about the way he looked at her. Like he knew something that she didn't, Rey thought with disheartenment.

Signaling Darach and his men to come back, Kylo Ren watched as the guards collected the two Zabrak and escorted them off the grounds. Then the clean up crew rushed in and swiftly started to clean up the fighting pit.

One of them brought the two lightsabers to Darach. Taking them, a slight shudder traveled through him. _How many times has he received these precious weapons? And how many times he wished he could travel back in time to make things right?_ But that was impossible to do and he had to accept the fact that he was here and there was no way out.

Stepping up onto the podium, he placed the two lightsabers in front of the Supreme Leader. Then bowing his head, he turned around and was about to leave, when Snoke spoke up.

"Keep and eye out for these two Zabrak."

"As you wish my Lord." Darach replied. Then bowing again, he turned and for a second his eyes met Rey's. There was a certain _bleakness in those green eyes,_ Rey thought dispirited.

Then he was off, speedily walking away.

"Come here my child." Snoke called for Rey.

Stepping closer, she looked into his eyes and then he said.

"The laws of the Empire do not reach into the Unknown Regions. This is your home now and in three weeks time there will be a grand celebration." Leaning forward, he gently touched her face and said. "That day I will celebrate my rebirth and you will marry my apprentice."

Rey's eyes grew wide hearing his words. Pulling away from his touch, she shook her head and said.

"You can't make me."

"Yes I can and I will." He said in a firm tone.

Rey was about to protest some more, when he swiftly stood up and left the podium followed by his red guards.

For a few seconds Rey stood there awestruck. She couldn't believe what he had just said. _Why is this happening to me?_ She asked herself utterly irritated about the thought of marrying him. Then turning around, her eyes landed on Kylo Ren.

Quickly approaching him, with a swift move; she slapped him hard across his cheeks.

"Bastard." She spat at him.

His face felt hot and itchy where she hit him. Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath and said.

"Let me show you something."

Grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her with him as they left the podium, tailed by some of his guards. Walking through a wide corridor, they headed toward an area that was unknown to her.

Stopping in front of a round metal door, Kylo Ren opened it, and Rey found themselves in a small, rounded room. Quickly sizing up the space, she noticed it was a surveillance room of sorts. There were some guards sitting in front of several large screens that covered one side of the wall.

"Leave us." Kylo Ren ordered.

Getting up, they left the room, leaving him and Rey alone.

Pointing to one of the chairs, he said.

"Have a seat."

Reluctantly, she sat down and watched him typing into the keypad.

Instantly, one of the screens expanded showing a room full of female, humans and aliens alike. First, she didn't understand why he was showing this to her. Then, the door to that room opened and she saw Savage and Maul walking in, followed by the guards. Puzzled, Rey watched as the women seductively surrounded the two men. One of the Twi'lek woman, ran her blue hands over Savage's horns, while a seductive smile appeared on her pretty face. Then her hand traveled down on his face and touched his wide chest plate, twirling her long fingers on its metal surface. While Savage was occupied with her, two other, one human and one Togruta approached Maul. Surrounding him, they both touched him in a very intimate manner.

She didn't want to see what happened next. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and quickly said.

"Shut it off."

"As you wish." Kylo Ren replied with a smug smile.

When the screen was gone, Rey opened her eyes and stared at the floor in front of her.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked feeling terribly nauseated.

"Every champion receives the same treatment." He replied. Then he added. "Do you think he would decline his rewards?"

Rey didn't know what to think at the moment. Her crazed mind was in turmoil. She wanted to get up and run out of here and never look back. The images of the women touching and rubbing against Maul burned into her mind. The jealousy and rage she felt right now was just overwhelming. With raging and accusing eyes, she looked at Kylo Ren and quickly getting up, she stormed out of the room. Her heels made a loud clicking sound as she rushed through the empty corridor toward her bedchamber. Holding back tears, she rushed through her door and slammed it behind. Leaning against the door, she slowly slid down and buried her face into her trembling hands. She wanted to cry, but no tears came.

Getting up, she walked up to her nightstand and opened the lower drawer. Inside was her satchel with the precious Jedi books. Taking the satchel out, she opened it and pulled out one of the books. Gently rubbing her hand over the worn, old cover, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her thoughts took her back to the day when she acquired them.

" _The Jedi needs to end."_ The old Jedi's words still rung in her ears. Her great disappointment in him left Rey disheartened. When she finally found him, she felt ecstatic and full of hope. However, that great feeling was quickly replaced by dismay. Not wasting too much time on his lonely island, and afraid that he was going to destroy the books, she scooped them up from the ancient tree and took off.

These books called to her, in a similar manner as the lightsaber had that she found in a closed chest within a demolished destroyer on Jakku. She knew they were important and that she had to deliver them, even if this decision came with a hard choice.

Then her eyes landed on her broken lightsaber and the small knife that was safely tucked on the bottom of the drawer. _I need to find a way to fix you,_ she thought, placing the book back into her satchel and lifting the two halves out of the drawer.

Rey had no idea how she would be able to fix it. But she needed this weapon if she was going to escape. Looking inside the tube, the blue crystal that powered the weapon was also broke in half. She wasn't sure if she was able to fix it, if it would work properly. She might have no choice but to ask for help and the only person she could ask was Kylo Ren and Rey was not keen on asking any favor from him.

Touching the blue crystal, a warm sensation traveled up her arm, making Rey feel strange, but pleasantly good. This feeling rushed through her like electricity. She wondered how she would be able to fix the crystal, when she heard a loud knock on her door.

Quickly she placed her satchel back into the drawer. Holding the broken lightsaber in her hands, she approached the door and asked.

"Who is that?"

"Open the door." Kylo Ren's muffled voice drifted through the closed door. Then he added. "Please."

After a few seconds, Rey made up her mind and cracked the door open to see him impatiently standing in front of her.

"May I come in?" He asked, searching her eyes.

"No." She replied. "You may not."

A thin smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, then his eyes landed on her hands, holding the two pieces.

"Let me have that." He said extending his arm toward her. Palm face up, he waited for Rey to place the weapon in his hand.

"Can you fix it?" Rey asked, hoping he would be able to do that.

"It's not my place to fix your weapon, but I can definitely assist you." He replied. After Rey placed it into his hand, he spoke up again. "The crystal is broken. You need to get another one."

"Where can I get another one?" She inquired.

"I can take you to the place where these crystals grow in abundance." He replied, and then he added with a smug grin. "On one condition."

"What kind of condition?" Rey asked with anticipation.

Stepping closer, he looked into her wide eyes and said.

"Let me kiss you."

Instantly, Rey's face morphed into a frown. Instinctively she took a step back. Then her eyes landed on his lips, and she asked.

"One kiss? That's all?"

"Yes." He said. _For now,_ he eagerly thought.

"Ok." Rey agreed, opening the door wider.

Placing the weapon pieces down the floor, he removed his leather gloves and placed them on top of the lightsaber. Stepping closer, he gently embraced her. Then lifting her chin with his hand, he looked into her eyes savoring this beautiful picture for a second longer.

Leaning forward, first he planted a soft kiss on her left cheek, making Rey slightly tremble. Then his lips enclosed on hers. Feeling the softness of her lips again, Kylo Ren's pulse instantly quickened. Knowing that this time she was aware of this kiss, gave him an extraordinary sensation.

Without warning, his tongue invaded her mouth causing Rey to cringe. But as his demanding kiss deepened, a small pleasurable moan escaped her mouth. His kiss was not what she expected. It felt strangely familiar, which surprised Rey. Returning his kiss, her tongue entered his mouth playing with him, while his strong arms firmly held her in place. The amazing sensation that rushed through them both was enticing. Kylo Ren wanted to pick her up and take her inside, and have her all the way, but he knew if he would have done that now, he would have greatly angered his Master, and that was the last thing he wanted to do.

Breaking the kiss, he looked into her elated face and said in a hushed tone.

"I'll let you get changed."

Letting her go, he picked up his gloves and her weapon. Then taking one more look at her and with a small smile, he walked away, leaving the confused Rey behind.

* * *

Peeling off the hands of the human woman, Maul growled in his throat. This was the last thing on his mind right now. Feeling extremely annoyed, he walked away from them. Looking at his brother, Savage seemed like he was having a great time, as the two women hung onto him, like vines on a trees on Dagobah.

Looking down on his arm, he pulled up his sleeve, only to see a deep gash just below his biceps. _Damn you Jedi,_ he thought with irritation and anger, as he closely examined the wound. His tattoo was now destroyed and there was no way he was able to fix that.

Suddenly, the door opened and Asajj accompanied by another woman walked in.

"Out ladies." Shae ordered the women.

One-by-one the women left the room. When the door closed behind them, Asajj turned to Savage and with a sly smile she asked.

"Are you having a good time?"

In a split second, Savage pushed her up against the wall. Breathing hard and fast, his yellow burning eyes deeply penetrated into hers.

Quickly signaling Shae to stand down, Asajj gazed into Savage's eyes and said in a smooth tone.

"Eager aren't we?"

"Stop playing with me." Savage replied with distaste. "I have had enough of your games…. Asajj."

Letting her go, he walked away from her and slumped down on the bench. He had enough of her games. _Either she is here to help us or she is just here to piss me off even more!_ Savage thought with exasperation.

"Why are you here?" Maul asked suspiciously eyeing the two women.

Stepping closer to him, Shae raised one of her eyebrows and said in a sweet tone.

"To have fun, of course."

Sliding her hands up the front of his tunic, she leaned her body against his. With a flirty smile, she lightly traced one of his tattoos on his face.

Suddenly, Maul reached up and grabbed her wrist and squeezed it. Then with a low growl, he said.

"Don't touch me."

Letting her go, he stepped back and walked away from her. These women started to piss him off. He was getting impatient. _Is this the reward that coward was talking about?_ Maul thought with anger. He didn't want anything to do with these women. He had no desire whatsoever to have any of them. The only person he desired was Rey. Seeing her today was a great relief, but he knew there was much to do before they were able to get away from here. He still couldn't trust Asajj and the key she gave them was questionable at the moment.

Walking up to Savage, Asajj placed her slender fingers on his wide shoulder plate and said.

"Come my love. Let's go."

Staring at the floor, he asked.

"Go where?"

"Back to your cell." She replied.

Standing up, and leaving the room, they were escorted back into their cell. But when they got there, instead of leaving them alone, both women stepped inside and locked the door.

"What are you doing?"

Savage's deep voice rang through the cell.

"Wait." Asajj said with a thin smile, as she signaled him to stay quite. Then within a few seconds, the lights were turned down, leaving all of them in complete darkness.

"Do you still have it?" Asajj asked, touching Savage's left arm.

"Yes I do." Savage replied.

"Give it to me." Asajj insisted.

Placing the key into her hand, Asajj asked Shae to give her some light.

Shining her small device onto the back of Savage's neck, Asajj was about to place the key into the collar's slot, when Maul's firm grip came down on her wrist.

"If anything happens to him, I will kill you." He growled.

Without hesitation, Asajj replied. "Deal."

Letting her go, Maul watched as she placed the key into the slot. With a small beeping sound, the collar opened and fell to the floor.

Savage didn't even notice he was holding his breath, until the collar hit the floor in front of his boots. Then with a relieved sigh, he looked at Maul and with a wide grin he said.

"I told you so."

"Maybe once you were right." Maul murmured as he turned his back at Asajj, allowing her to open his collar. However, when she tried to push the key inside, the opening of his collar was slightly smaller than Savage's.

"Damn." She groaned.

"What's wrong?" Savage asked.

"This key is the wrong key for his collar." Asajj replied.

"Are you sure?" Savage asked again.

"Yes, I'm sure." Asajj reaffirmed, feeling a bit annoyed by his question.

Turning around, Maul swiftly grabbed hold of her delicate neck and squeezed it. Pulling her astonished face closer, he snarled. "Don't play games with me, witch."

With wide eyes, Asajj looked into Maul's and croaked.

"I'm...telling….you….the truth."

"Brother." Savage quickly spoke up. "Let her go."

Unwillingly, Maul let her go.

Holding onto her throat, Asajj coughed a few times, then with a hoarse voice she spoke up.

"Let me find the right key and I promise I will bring it to you."

"Why should I trust you?" Maul asked annoyed.

"You don't have a choice, but to trust me." Asajj replied with a frigid tone. Then turning to Savage, she said.

"I will leave the key here, but you have to put the collar back."

Hesitantly, Savage picked up the collar and placed it into her hands.

"Put it back." He said as his eyes found Maul's and then he added. "I would never leave you brother."

When the collar was back on his neck, Asajj stepped in front of him and slowly caressing his solemn face, she pulled him down and pressed her lips to his.

Maul was surprised to see them kissing in front of him. From the kissing couple his eyes landed on Shae, who looked quite entertained by the view.

Then breaking the kiss, and with a smile, Asajj held onto Savage's hand and pulled him toward his small bathroom. Maul watched them leaving, then looking at Shae who nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders, Maul turned around and walked into his side of the cell, while she went after them.

In his compact bathroom, Asajj and Shae slowly removed his gore and blood splattered armor, leaving Savage only in his black undergarment.

When it was time to remove his undergarment, Savage grabbed Asajj's hand and said in a low voice.

"After you."

With a sly smirk, she retracted her hand and turned toward Shae. Slowly she started to undress her. When Shae stood in all her naked glory in front of Savage, then Asajj let her remove her clothes.

Seeing both women naked in front of him, Savage's pulse quickened. His trousers felt way too small as the two women teased each other.

Stepping into the shower, Shae quickly turned on the faucet, letting the lukewarm water fall down onto her pale but beautiful body. Teasingly, she called to Asajj, wanting her in the shower with her.

Stepping into the shower, Asajj let Shae wash her slim body down, while her eyes focused on Savage.

Watching the women in the shower was a beautiful picture to behold. Quickly stepping out of his trousers, Savage walked up to them and squeezed his large body between the two very attractive females.

While Asajj's lips were on his, teasing and biting, Shae grabbed hold of his thick manhood and started to squeeze it. Then running her hand over his length, she started to play with him as she moved her hand up and down.

Grabbing hold of Asajj backside, Savage firmly grasped her shapely buttocks, feeling her soft skin beneath his fingertips. _Oh Maker how much I've missed her,_ he thought with despair, feeling like his manhood was about to explode.

Then as he thought he could take no more, Shae let go of him and turned toward Asajj. Pulling her face close to hers, she pressed her soft lips onto hers and while their tongue played with each other, Savage grabbed Shae's breasts and slowly started to massage her, gently rolling the hardened light pink nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Then he did the same to Asajj. Then sliding his hand down on Asajj's taut stomach, he inserted one of his digits inside her sex. Savage felt her complete arousal, as he slowly moved his finger in and out of her, causing her to moan with pleasure into Shae's mouth. Smearing the creamy substance on her thighs, he then touched Shae in the similar manner, feeling her complete readiness for him.

Picking Shae up, and pressing her back against the shower wall, he placed himself between her shapely thighs. Intently gazing into her wide eyes, he gradually immersed himself within her folds, making her moan louder.

Slowly moving his hips, and then picking up his pace, Savage closed his eyes and enjoyed the extremely pleasant feeling she gave him. The softness of her body made him almost lose control.

Feeling her muscles contracting around him, he knew she was getting close to her peak. While he diligently kept up his pace, Asajj's mouth came down onto his, biting his lips and tongue with small, pleasant kisses.

When Shae reached her peak, Savage had to hold back not wanting to end this quickly. He longed to feel Asajj once again. After all these years spent apart, he wanted to immerse himself within her and feel her beautiful body.

Quickly removing himself, he let go of her and turned to Asajj.

Swiftly turning her around, he placed his large hand onto her sweet spot and started to massage her sex. While her pleasurable moans filled up the small shower, he picked up one of her legs and slowly immersed himself within her. Then rhythmically moving his hips with hers, that familiar satisfaction he always felt with her returned with full force.

While his hands enclosed on her small, but firm breasts, and sensing her climax closing in, he picked up his pace. Then when he felt his manhood was about to erupt, she finally reached her peak. While her body trembled and sent small tremors through his, Savage lost himself within her, reaching his amazing climax simultaneously with hers.

Heavily breathing, his mouth came down on her shoulder, while his pulse slowly started to ease into a slower rhythm. Turning her around, he pressed his lips onto hers.

While Shae dried herself up and got back into her clothes, Savage and Asajj were still in the shower, holding onto each other.

Breaking the kiss, he looked into her satisfied face and asked.

"Where have you been all this time?"

Gazing into his eyes, and to his astonishment, with a thin smile, she said.

"Here in the Arena, fighting for my life."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12.**

"Where are you taking me?" Rey asked as Kylo Ren opened the vehicle's door.

"We're going to a cave full of crystals." He replied.

After getting into the snowmobile, and with a push of a button, the machine started up. Within a few minutes they were on their way toward the surface.

It was late in the night already the sky was dark. However the frigid surface of the planet was lit up brightly with the freshly fallen snow, making the icy terrain look like a winter wonderland.

Rey's eyes followed the contours of the land, as they sped toward the cave. The last time she had seen the surface was almost a week ago and that time she was not happy to be here. This time, however, instead of feeling anger, she admired the breathtaking view.

Then her eyes landed on Kylo Ren's gloved hand clutching the steering wheel.

"How many times have you been there before?" Rey asked looking from his hand to his handsome profile.

Staring straight ahead, he replied.

"This will be my third time."

Then his eyes landed on Rey and with a mischievous smile, he asked.

"Why do you have to ask so many questions?"

She replied with a smile.

"I like to know everything."

"Everything?" He asked pulling up one of his dark eyebrows.

Still smiling, Rey nodded her head, and she was about to ask another question, when he said.

"Well, there is one thing I can tell you. But you might find it disturbing."

Frowning, Rey looked at him and asked with apprehension.

"What is it?"

Turning his attention forward, he took a deep breath and said.

"As you know, there will be a grand celebration in a few weeks. Many from all across the galaxy will be attending this important event."

"Yes I'm aware of that." Rey said with slight distaste.

"Among the many invited guests, your father will be there as well." Kylo Ren said.

"My father?" Rey asked with disbelief.

"Yes." He replied. Then he asked. "How does this make you feel?"

Rey didn't know what to say to that. This was the last thing she expected to hear. Just to think about seeing him again, Rey's pulse quickened. Then she asked.

"Why is he coming?"

Turning toward her, he looked into her eyes and said.

"His only daughter is getting married. Do you think he would miss her wedding day?"

The mentioning of their upcoming wedding was a disheartening thing to hear. Even though he was nice to her and treated her with respect, she was not looking forward to becoming his wife. Her heart belonged to Maul, and she would rather not think about him right now. The last image of him with the women was still fresh in her mind. Quickly dismissing these disturbing images, Rey took a shaky breath and said.

"Let him come. I have many questions for him."

The thought of her father coming here made Rey feel angry but also confused again. _Indeed I have many questions for him,_ she thought with anger.

"Who else is coming?" Rey inquired.

Suddenly she noticed his facial expression change. For a second he looked distraught, and then with an irritated voice, he said.

"Emperor Valkorion and his family will also attend the ceremony."

"Who are these people?" Rey asked sensing there was more to come.

"He rules planet Zakuul within the Unknown regions. He is extremely rich and powerful. I've met him and his family plenty of times already. Once a year, he and his children, they like to visit the casino."

"Seems like you don't like them. Why?" Rey asked, wanting to know what was going on with these people.

Letting out a frustrated sigh, and clutching the steering wheel tighter, he said.

"His twin sons and I are not in the best relations. They always made me feel less than dirt."

"Why would they do that?" Rey asked, getting curious about this subject.

"His sons and daughter were born into privilege and wealth. Since their birth, they were the princes and princesses of their Empire. They grew up knowing nothing else but comfort and love especially from their mother."

"What about the father?" Rey asked. "Does he love them as well?"

"In a way yes, he does, but he rarely shows any emotions toward the boys. However, his precious daughter Vaylin, she gets all the special attention." Kylo Ren replied with a hint of irony in his voice.

"But why would you say that they made you feel like dirt?" Rey asked again, not understanding why he said that. As far as she knew, Kylo Ren was also rich and powerful, and she didn't understand why he would say such a thing.

"I'll explain it to you in a bit." He replied, parking the vehicle inside a large cave.

Extremely unpleasant cold weather greeted them as they stepped out of the vehicle. Quickly, he led her to a steel door. While shivering, Rey watched as he entered a code into the keypad that was embedded into the rough walls of the cave. After pressing a code sequence in, and also scanning his face, the metal door opened, showing up a dark walled elevator.

Stepping inside, Kylo Ren turned around and pressed a button on the elevator's wall. Immediately, they were heading downward deep beneath the mountain.

When the elevator stopped and the door opened, Rey found themselves in a narrow, brightly lit corridor. The air here was pleasantly warm, _just like in the casino,_ she though with relief. At the end of the corridor was another door patrolled by two guards.

Approaching them, and after greeting Kylo Ren, they let them pass.

Behind the door was another long, narrow passage. However, the walls of this place were not metal, but rough stone. Lightly running her hand over the cold walls, Rey looked ahead and noticed the end of the passageway widened up, showing her an extraordinary view.

Standing at the edge of the corridor, Rey's eyes grew wide with astonishment looking at the large cave full of colorful crystals. All around them the walls of the cave were embedded with all shapes and sizes of beautiful sparkling stones. The astounding view left Rey speechless.

As her eyes scanned the cave, she noticed in the middle was a large stone table. Approaching the table, Kylo Ren placed her broken lightsaber on top of it. Then he removed the crystals from the weapon and put them on the table as well. Then he turned to the amazed Rey.

"This is the cave of Kyber crystals." He started. "For centuries now, Jedi and Sith alike came to visit here to extract these stones and used them to power their weapons."

"This is magnificent." Rey exclaimed.

"They look charming but as you know, they can be very deadly as well." Kylo Ren replied watching her astonished face.

"What do I have to do?" Rey asked.

"Here the Force is extremely strong." He said. Then he added. "You have to concentrate and deeply connect with it. Through this connection a stone will choose you. When it happens, you will know how to construct your weapon that will perfectly accommodate your crystal."

Looking around and then to him, Rey felt nervous. She wasn't sure if she could do this. Then her eyes landed on the broken weapon and she knew she had to fix it if she were to leave this place. Thinking about her escape made Rey extremely anxious. She was aware that this plan of hers could very well backfire on her, but she had no choice but to go ahead with it, even though she wasn't too keen on leaving Maul and Savage behind. And to do that, it had to be done following their wedding ceremony. She had planned this to do after their wedding night, _after he fell asleep,_ she thought disheartened. Just to think about what will come that night gave a fluttery feeling deep down inside her. She will have no choice but to give herself to him and this unpleasant thought kept coming back to her frustrated mind, every time she thought about it.

However, this was a necessary evil for the sake of a great cause, and Rey had to accept it, whether she liked it or not.

"So how do I do that?" She asked looking at him.

"Close your eyes." He said. "And concentrate deeply within yourself."

Closing her eyes, Rey took a deep breath in, then slowly exhaled. Placing her hands on top of the table, she started to tune out the sounds of his breathing and also her confusing thoughts. Breathing slowly, Rey started to deeply concentrate on herself. When her mind was completely clear of everything, a bright light appeared behind her closed eyelids. This light felt pleasant and inviting. Reaching out with her mind, she gently touched the light caressing its warm glow.

Watching her face was a delightful picture to behold. She looked relaxed and _perfectly beautiful_ , Kylo Ren thought with awe. Every time he looked at her a strange feeling enveloped his body and mind. She was unique, that he could tell, but _how unique is she?_ He didn't know. Stepping behind her, he placed his head next to hers, and whispered into her ear.

"Accept the light and it will show you the way."

Feeling his warm breath on her ear and hearing his voice made Rey tremble. She was well aware of his presence behind her. However, his closeness felt comforting and taking his advice, she reached out again and accepted the light.

Suddenly, the broken crystal alongside with the weapon in front of them started to shake lightly, then more forcefully. Then the air around them vibrated with electricity forcing Kylo Ren to step back with astonishment.

With wide eyes, he watched the air around Rey turning into pure electricity, brightening up the cave with a blinding bluish light. Then his eyes landed on the stone table and he watched as the broken weapon suddenly lifted up and shattered into hundreds of pieces. As the pieces of the lightsaber floated above the table, the blue crystal also elevated slowly spinning around in mid air.

Then to his amazement, from the wall came a crystal. It flew across in mid-air and hovered above the table, and immediately fused with the broken crystal. As the two crystals connected, from their unity, a bright purple light emitted, enveloping Rey's calm face with a light purple glow. Then around the fused crystal her weapon spun faster, causing the air to vibrate more forcefully with an electrical charge. Slowly, the pieces of the weapon encased the newly forged crystal, forming a new design around them.

When Rey opened her eyes, the calmness and peace she felt was extremely powerful. Then she looked at the table in front of her. There was a deep crack running across the surface of the table, which amazed her. But the most interesting thing was her newly formed lightsaber that lay on top of the table.

Picking it up, she turned it in her hand and said with amazement.

"It looks good. Slender but powerful."

Turning her attention to Kylo Ren, Rey noticed the wonderment that was written on is face was _comical,_ she thought amusingly.

"How…. did you...do that?" He asked stuttering.

"How did I do what?" Rey asked, frowning.

"I have seen others before forging their own weapons, but I have never seen something like this." He replied, still feeling shocked.

Shrugging, Rey replied. "I just did what you told me to do."

"Well." He started. "Whatever you did was amazing."

Stepping closer, he gently caressed her face and then he asked. "Who are you Rey? Really?"

"You know exactly who I am." She replied, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze and touch. Then she added. "I don't understand what you mean?"

"My Master was right. You are more than you seem." Saying that he leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her parted lips.

"Please, don't." Rey groaned, pulling away from him.

Feeling a little let down, Kylo Ren took a step back and then he said.

"Go ahead. Turn it on."

Holding her weapon up she ignited it. Instantly, a deep purple glow enveloped her face. Stepping back and with a fluid motion, she twirled her slim weapon several times creating a purple blur in front of her face. Then she noticed something. Pressing down on the ignition button again, the back end of her weapon suddenly ignited with a deep red color, while the front that was purple turned into the very familiar blue color. In astonishment, she beamed at her lightsaber and then at Kylo Ren.

"Oh my Maker." She exclaimed. "How did I do this?"

"The Force is superb within you." Supreme Leader's strong voice echoed through the cave.

Instantly, both Rey and Kylo Ren spun around and looked toward the opening of the corridor, only to see Snoke standing there.

Stepping closer, he approached them.

"Master." Kylo Ren bowed his head. It was a great surprise to see him here. This he had not expected. Stepping aside, he let him walk closer to Rey.

"My child." He said to Rey. "I'm happy to see your powers are growing stronger."

"What are you doing here?" Rey asked confused looking up into his scarred face.

"I'm impressed to see how strong you have become." He replied with eagerness. Then turning around he looked at his apprentice. Scrutinizing him for a few seconds, he said.

"As you see my apprentice, she is unique in every way. To deserve her is a great honor. After the wedding I expect you to perform and produce an heir as soon as possible."

At the mentioning of the word heir, Rey looked from Kylo Ren to Snoke and then back to Kylo Ren. As her eyes met his, a sudden knot formed in her stomach. The way he looked at her was fairly disturbing. In his eyes, there was a mixture of lust with apprehension. Quickly, she looked down on her weapon and a sudden thought came to her mind. _I could kill them both and be done with it,_ she thought with determination staring at her weapon. She was about to ignite it when Snoke spoke up again and his words immediately stopped her in her tracks.

"From your unity, I'm expecting a very powerful great-grandchild."

"What?" Rey and Kylo Ren shouted in unison. The horror and astonishment that was written on both of their faces was palpable.

Then before any of them could ask a question, Snoke turned to Rey and spoke up again.

"It's time to reveal who you really are, my dear."

With eyes as big as saucers, Rey stared into Snoke's face. Anxiously, she was waiting for him to continue.

"I should have told you this before, but I chose not to. But now I think it's a good time to reveal the truth to you." Snoke said. "Your mother, Lylea was a product of my own experiment."

"What are you talking about?" Rey asked with shock.

"You see my child, I was always fascinated about the human origins, where do they come from and how do they progress." Snoke casually replied. Then he continued. "Your grandmother was a fairly powerful Force user witch on Dathomir. When I met her, I knew she would be the perfect specimen for my own creation. You see, I have been alive for a long time now and I have been failed so many times in the past to produce an heir that I almost gave up. The women I have met before were not strong enough to carry out this important task. However, one did succeed, but unfortunately it was too late to recognize that opportunity. I thought I lost her, but that's not what happened. She was taken from me and sold as a slave. The offspring of that experiment is long dead and there is nothing I can do about that. I was left empty handed and also with an unspeakable heartache."

"My grandmother was your lover?" Rey asked with utter disbelief.

"Oh, not in that sense." Snoke chuckled. "I did not desire their flesh. I gave my seed to them, but not in a way you think."

"Are you my grandfather?" Rey asked, not believing her own words.

"Yes, I am." He replied watching her astonished face.

"And my mother knew of this?" She asked, baffled.

"No." Snoke replied. "Your mother never knew where she came from. But she knew the power within her was exceptionally unique. And for her to meet your father was not by accident but pure calculation."

"Why would she do that?" She asked feeling nauseated.

"I was the one who influenced their minds to find each other." Snoke continued, as a sly grin appeared on is face. "I recognized a very powerful persona within Palpatine. I knew with their unity, I was able to continue my great experiments involving the power of the Force, which unites us in so many ways."

"You are both extremely strong." Looking at Rey he added. "You being my descendant", then he looked at Kylo Ren, "And you being an exceptional Force user, I'm sure your offspring will be remarkably powerful to rule over the universe."

As soon as he said that a sudden and painful memory flooded Rey's mind. She had already heard a similar thing from the lips of Mother Talzin, but her vision said otherwise. Her vision did not involve Kylo Ren, but her son Maul. This completely confused Rey and left her in great turmoil. Feeling disappointed with Maul and angry with Kylo Ren, at this very moment, Rey wanted nothing to do with any of them. She felt like she was bait for their amusements and that was something she didn't want to accept. _I am my own person and I am not a toy or an experiment to play with!_ Rey thought with anger looking at the two men in front of her.

Then as she looked down on her weapon again a sudden sadness enveloped her. _So that is why you called to me?_ She thought realizing that the previous owner of this lightsaber was none other than her long lost sibling. The sibling Snoke was talking about.

"Why do you think this plan of yours would ever succeed?" Rey asked annoyed.

"One day you will understand my dear. And when that day comes, you will be the one to come to me and ask for my guidance." Snoke replied. Then he turned around leaving them behind.

While Snoke was telling Rey her true lineage, Kylo Ren's mind was in great confusion. He had no idea that Rey was his granddaughter. This new revelation was astounding. However, knowing Snoke's great powers, he now understood why she was so strong with the Force.

After his Master left, he looked at Rey's upset face and said.

"Be glad you have a family."

"A family?" Rey asked incredibly. "How could you say that?" She asked with an accusing tone.

"I'd rather not…she started to say, when he quickly cut her off.

"Even though your family is not what you expected, still you have a family and you are not alone." Kylo Ren replied with annoyance. With a firm tone, he added. "I would give anything to have a family."

"What do you mean?" Rey asked feeling awkward. She never asked him where he had come from or where his family were. This subject never came up and now looking at his upset face, Rey felt guilty and ashamed.

Taking a deep breath, Kylo Ren ran his hand through his dark locks and then leaning against the table he said.

"The twins I have spoken before, they always made fun of me. They always made me feel like I was worthless. Every time they came to visit, they constantly challenged me. They knew where I came from and they took advantage of that knowledge to embarrass me and put me down."

With a painful expression he looked at Rey and said.

"I was a slave once in Cantonica. I was a stable boy sweeping up Fathier excrements. I was nobody without a family. My parents sold me off to the casino and left me there to die. But every single day I just kept pressing on. I did not want to give up and accept my fate. I knew I was destined to be more than just a stable boy. Then one day, Supreme Leader Snoke came to the casino. He recognized the unique powers within me and he bought me. From that day on, I was his apprentice and son. I'm truly grateful for him. Even though over the years there were times when he treated me harsh and unfair, I knew the only reason he did that was to prepare me and guide me to become who I am today. He is not my flesh and blood, but he is like a father to me."

As Rey listened to his heart-wrenching story, instantly she felt sympathy for him. She knew exactly how he felt experiencing a similar lifestyle herself as well. Although she was far from being a slave, she had felt like one every single day when she woke up. The hard work she had been put through since childhood left a deep crevice within her soul. She was scarred and so was he.

Stepping closer to him, instinctively she embraced him. While her head rested on his wide chest, she said in a low voice.

"You are not alone."

Lifting her head up, he looked into her teary eyes and said.

"I like you Rey. You are a truly beautiful person." Then he added. "How can I deserve you?"

Hearing his words left a hurtful feeling inside Rey. She wanted to hate this man, but she just couldn't do it. There was something about him that left her wanting more. For some unexplained reason she was pulled to him like a magnet. _Why is this happening?_ Rey thought frustrated searching his eyes.

"I'm here for you if you need me." She assured him. Then pulling out of his embrace, she turned to the table. The immense amount of pent up frustration and anger within her was just overwhelming at the moment. Rey felt like a ticking time bomb, which could explode in any seconds. After a few seconds of staring at it, she ignited her weapon again and with anger and frustration she struck it down, completely breaking the table in half.

An hour later, they were back in the casino. Walking through the corridor, they stopped in front of her room. Turning to Kylo Ren, Rey looked up into his face and said.

"I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?" He inquired.

"Before we get married, I would like to see Maul again." Rey pleaded.

A faint frown appeared on his face. Then after a few seconds of silence, he said.

"Alright. I'll let you see him."

"Thank you." Rey replied. Then she was about to turn and go into her room when he stopped her.

"I want to make you happy... Rey."

With a small smile, she nodded her head and then opening her door, she stepped inside, shutting him out.

* * *

"Hold your weapon higher!" Darach's strong voice carried over the empty Arena. Pointing to the young apprentice, he yelled again.

"No! Not like that!"

Approaching him, Darach stood in front of the young man and holding out his training weapon he smacked at the young Jedi's weapon, knocking it out of his hand.

With an irritated tone, he asked.

"Do you want to die next?"

When the young Jedi shook his head, with a softer tone Darach spoke up again.

"You still need a lot of training."

Looking at the older Jedi standing beside the young one, Darach continued.

"Your are too soft on him. Don't be." He firmly said. Then quickly looking around, Darach's eyes landed on the two Zabrak that were diligently training together amongst the many that took over the Arena's grounds.

"You there!" The Master of Arms pointed toward Maul. "Come here!" He yelled.

Approaching Darach, Maul's yellow eyes swiftly looked from Darach to the two Jedi that stood beside him.

"I want you to train with him." Darach said pointing to the young one.

"Why me?" Maul asked irritated.

"He needs to learn different techniques if he wants to stay alive long enough." Darach replied, quickly silencing the older Jedi who was about to speak up.

With a smug face, Maul looked at the young Jedi and clicking his tongue he said in a mocking tone.

"Are you ready…. Kenobi?"

Picking up his training weapon, and holding it firmly in his hand, young Kenobi waited for Maul to make the first move.

Casually twirling his weapon in his hand, Maul slowly started to pace in front of him. Then he suddenly raised his hand and mockingly stepped forward, trying to scare the Jedi.

A sudden worry enveloped the Jedi's face. For a second he seemed like he was scared, but then his facial expression changed and with a swift move, he lunged at Maul.

Quickly counter attacking his advances, Maul spun around and kicked him on the left thigh, making the young Jedi buckle under his forceful attack. However, he swiftly sprung up and turned on Maul slashing his weapon at his upper body.

Maul, quickly moved out of the way and with a sidekick he smashed his heal into the Jedi's chest, sending him down to the ground. Then while he was down, Maul stood above him and was about to bring his weapon down on his head, when Kenobi rolled out of the way and jumping to his feet, he quickly spun around and brought his weapon down across Maul's midsection.

The powerful punch from the weapon hit Maul unexpected and hard. For a second he felt the air was sucked out of him. As he tried to collect his stamina, Maul looked up, and saw him raising his weapon again to strike him down.

Blocking the attack, Maul's mind went mad with fury. This young Jedi was not what he expected. With a right training, he might have been really good, _but he will never make it that far,_ Maul thought with anger as he ducked down and swiftly kicked his legs out from under him. Then straightening up, and raising his weapon, he was going to teach him a hard lesson, when he heard his name.

"Maul!"

As his weapon hovered over Kenobi's fearful and astonished face, Maul looked to his right and saw Rey standing at the edge of the Arena's ground.

Immediately, he dropped the weapon, which landed on Kenobi's forehead. While the young Jedi cuddled his head, Maul sped toward Rey.

As soon as he reached her, he swiftly lifted her off the ground and pressed his lips to hers, savoring the precious moment.

Holding onto him, Rey passionately kissed him back. Tightly pressing her body against his, she was ecstatic to be able to hug and kiss him again.

Everyone around them in the training ground stopped and looked their way. A small smile appeared on Savage's face watching their passionate embrace. Then looking down, he extended his hand and pulled up the surprised Jedi.

"Who is she?" Kenobi asked.

"His better half." Savage replied.

Breaking the kiss, Maul gazed into her eyes and with a hushed tone he said.

"Oh, how much I missed you."

"Did you?" Rey asked with a concerned face.

With a frown, he looked at her and said.

"I do not desire anyone, but you Rey." Then he added. "Trust me."

Looking into his eyes, Rey knew he was telling the truth. Feeling relieved, she smiled and planted a quick kiss on his lips. Then she whispered into his ear.

"I missed you too."

"Did you now?" He playfully asked. Then he heard her voice in his head.

 _I do not have much time. I came to tell you that there will be a large ceremony in a few weeks. I…",_ Rey started, but wasn't sure how to carry on telling him the next thing.

 _What is it?_ Maul's worried voice was heard in her head.

 _I'm getting married to his apprentice._ Rey replied, avoiding his eyes.

With an astonished face Maul shouted.

"You're doing what?!"

"Please Maul." Rey pleaded. "Stay quiet."

Then her voice filled up his head again.

 _After the ceremony, I will leave this place and take the Jedi books with me. They need to be delivered._

Maul was in shock to hear her upcoming nuptials. Deep down inside he knew something was going to happen, but he never envisioned this. With a heavy heart, he nodded his head and said.

 _My mother would be very proud of you, but I cannot let you do that. Not alone. There is a way out of here. Please Rey, give me some time, and I will be free of these chains. Then together we will deliver them._ With a pleading tone he added.

"Please do not do anything reckless."

Not having much time left, she didn't want to waste it. Wrapping her arms around him, she passionately kissed him. Holding her in his arms, he returned the kiss. Feeling her soft lips on his was like a drop of fresh water that could never quench his thirst. He did not want to let go of her.

Then Maul heard the apprentice's voice calling from above.

"Time is up."

Letting her go, he reassuringly squeezed her arms, then his eyes found Kylo Ren's.

If his look could have killed, Kylo Ren would have been dead. The immense anger and loathing Maul felt for that man propelled him to get himself and Savage out of this as soon as possible.

After watching Rey disappearing behind the door, he then rushed back to the young Jedi and his Master and picking up his weapon, Maul continued the training with the full power of his fury.

A week later, amongst the newly arrived guests, one of the most important ones had arrived with his family. It was early afternoon when Emperor Valkorion and his entourage walked into the casino.

Rey was getting ready in her room when she heard a loud knock. Quickly putting her brush down, she opened the door to see Asajj and Shae standing in the corridor.

"We need to talk." Asajj said.

Letting the women in, Rey quickly locked the door behind them, and then she asked.

"What do you want?"

"I need to tell you something." Asajj spoke up.

"What do you want to tell me?" Rey asked curiously watching them.

Leaning against the bedpost, and crossing her slender arms in front of her chest, Asajj told everything to Rey. When she was done, Rey started to smile and said.

"I can't believe you are Savage's mate." Then she quickly added. "Where is the key?"

"The key is kept in a safe place, locked up in Ben's room." Shae explained.

"Ben?" Rey asked. "Who is that?"

"Oh, you don't know." Shae said cynically. Then she added. "Is your lovely future husband's true name."

"His name is Ben?" Rey asked incredibly.

When Shae nodded in agreement, Rey asked again. "How do you know this?"

Taking a seat at the vanity table, and picking up the brush, then looking into the mirror, Shae locked eyes with Rey, and then she said. "Ben and I used to have lots of fun. However, he was just to unpredictable for me. So I decided to end our little secret affair."

"You and him?" Rey asked baffled, watching her starting to brush her red hair.

"Yes." Shae replied. "He is quite a catch." She said with a sly smile. Then she added. "You'll find out very soon."

"I'd rather not." Rey replied annoyed. She didn't want to think about that right now.

"So is that how you know where the key is?" Rey inquired.

Turning around, Shae said.

"Bingo."

Her strange attitude confused Rey. She wasn't sure if Shae was always like this, or she was just jealous of her. Despite her behavior, Rey was glad to hear that these women were on their side. She couldn't believe both of these women were used to fight in the Arena. She had no idea how powerful they were, but to be able to survive here, Rey was certain they had to be exceptionally good.

After the women left, Rey slumped down on her bed and lying back on the covers, she started to think about the many possibilities that could happen on the day of her dreaded wedding.

Later that evening Rey was picked up by Kylo Ren and escorted into the lavishly decorated dining room. Looking around, Rey noticed the large room was stuffed with guests of all kinds. Their loud conversations filled up the immense room.

At the other end of the room was their table. Approaching it, Rey noticed a middle aged man sitting next to Snoke. His tall well built frame was dressed in a white and blue elegant but powerful attire, while his wife sitting on his left wore a white and silver fused form fitting long dress, showing off her striking figure. Beside her sat a young woman, with long dark hair wearing all black. There was no one else besides them at the table.

Snoke looked up then as his eyes met Rey's he slightly nodded his head. Then he spoke up.

"Let me introduce my granddaughter, Aldereya."

At once, all three of them looked at Rey. While the man slowly appraised Rey, his wife curiously looked at her. However, the daughter's gaze was not a pleasant sight to view. Her dark eyes pierced into Rey's as she steadily appraised her. Then her eyes landed on Kylo Ren and a wicked smile appeared in the corner of her thin lips.

Then the man stood up and approached Rey. Looking up to his stern bearded face, Rey immediately felt intimidated. Extending his arm, Rey placed her small hand into his. While he gently shook her hand, his deep blue eyes penetrated into hers. Then in a robust voice he spoke up.

"It's finally nice to meet you." Then he added. "You are more beautiful than I expected."

Blushing a little, Rey pulled her hand out of his, and said.

"Nice to meet you too. And you are too kind my Lord."

Turning around, he introduced his wife and daughter.

"My wife Senya and my daughter Vaylin."

Smiling at them, Rey shook both of their hands. Then she took a seat with Kylo Ren on the opposite side of the table next to Snoke.

While the waiters filled their drinks and brought the appetizer, Rey wondered where those twins were. She was certain they were here somewhere. Just before the main course was ready to be served, suddenly Kylo Ren's hand grabbed hold of Rey's left thigh and slightly squeezed it.

Looking at him, she noticed his face morphed into a more serious expression, as he clenched down on his teeth. Then she looked past him and saw two men swiftly approaching their table.

One of them wore a black, while the other wore a white outfit. Their short cropped light brown hair, piercing blue eyes and chiseled identical features was a striking vision. Their presence was unmistakably powerful as they marched to the table.

When they reached the table, both of them looked at Kylo Ren. Slightly nodding their heads, they respectfully greeted him, then their eyes landed on Rey.

Instantly she felt a peculiar feeling coursing through her body. She had no idea what caused it, but this sensation was new and unwelcome.

Then the one in white spoke up. His deep, smooth voice carried over the table.

"My name is Arcann and this is my brother Thexan. A pleasure to finally meet you. We heard a good deal about you."

Rey wondered what were the things they heard about her. With a small smile she nodded her head and then watched them as they took a seat beside their sister.

While the conversation grew loud at the table, Rey tried to keep it together. She had never felt this uncomfortable in her life, not even when Maul ripped her dress off on the night of their first consummation. Every time she looked up from her plate, she noticed the twins or their sister staring at her. The tension at the table was getting to Rey. She wanted to excuse herself and retire for the night, when the twin in white, stood up and with a charming smile, he extended his hand toward Rey and asked.

"May I have this dance?"

Immediately, Rey felt her stomach muscles tighten up and then she felt Kylo Ren's hand on her thigh again. But this time his touch was more forceful as he clamped down on her leg. Then before Rey could decline his offer, Kylo Ren looked up and with a forced smile he said.

"Only one dance."

"Certainly." Arcann replied with his charming smile.

Rey couldn't believe this. She didn't want to stay any longer let alone dance with him. Clutching his hand under the table, she pinched him showing her disapproval. Despite her silent protest, Rey had no choice but to stand up. Taking his offered hand, he led her to the dance floor.

Gently holding her by the waist, he placed one of her hands on his wide shoulder, while he held the other in his hand. While the enchanted music filled up the room, he started to slow dance with her.

Looking up to his face, Rey felt unease under his intense gaze. Then he asked.

"Do I make you nervous?"

For a moment, his question left Rey speechless. Quickly composing herself, she replied.

"Why would you think that?"

"Just a hunch, that's all." He casually replied. Then he pulled her closer until her body was tightly pressed against his.

Gazing into her wide eyes, he said in a hushed tone.

"I could look at these eyes for eternity."

The sudden realization that he was shamelessly flirting hit Rey like a ton of bricks. She had never experienced something like this before. She just met him and he was already getting too familiar with her.

Quickly avoiding his gaze, she looked around. As her eyes landed on Kylo Ren's agitated face, Rey knew he was ready to spring up at any moment. When the music ended, she thanked him and as she turned around she found herself face to face with his twin.

Quickly, Rey was handed over to his brother. A frustrated sigh left her mouth as she took his hand and allowed him to have her for this dance.

While Arcann freely showed his feelings toward Rey, Thexan wasn't as open about it. However, his quiet manners were _charming,_ Rey thought amusingly. Instantly she felt more at ease with him than with his brother.

When the music stopped, he walked her back to the table. As Rey sat down, she looked toward Snoke and watched him talking with the twin's father. Their conversation was about galactic affairs and wars that have been fought on both sides. As she closely scrutinized Snoke, slowly she started to recognize tiny gestures and facial expression that reminded her of herself.

It was still unthinkable to accept the thought that he was her family. And not just him but Sidious as well. Both men, full of power and ambition were her only family, and this was just too much to handle. In a way, she didn't want anything to do with them. On the other hand, she knew they cared about her. _How could I hate their love?_ Rey thought disheartened. _Here I am sitting around the most expensive table in the galaxy, having delicious drinks and fine cuisine with extremely influential and powerful people. Either I like it or not, by choice or not, I am a part of this society. How can I hate them for providing me with all this luxury and care?_

For a split second Rey almost convinced herself to stay and live her life with Kylo Ren. However, there was an image that came to her mind. The image of the small house in the middle of the woods on Dathomir. That small cabin was her home and the man in the cabin was her true love.

Quickly standing up, she apologized and ran out of the dining room. Swiftly removing her heels and throwing them aside, she ran until she reached the hangar. After finding the snowmobile, she jumped into it and drove it toward the surface.

When she reached the surface, she just kept driving until she came upon a huge abyss. Before she was about to plunge into the darkness she stopped the vehicle, which dangerously skidded toward the edge.

Jumping out, she ran to the edge. The frigid snow like needles, deeply penetrated into the soles of her feet, but Rey didn't care. Standing on the ledge, she looked down to see an endless darkness beckoning her. Then she looked up to see the moons of Illum brightly shining down on her freezing, trembling form.

As the cold wind ripped into her dress, Rey opened her arms wide and screamed into the freezing night with all her might.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13.**

"My Lady!" Darach's voice was heard behind Rey. "Please. My Lady." He pleaded. "Step away from the ledge."

Slowly turning around, Rey's swollen, red eyes met the Master of Arms's. Extending his arm, he gently beckoned her to come closer.

With chattering teeth, she took a shaky breath and then slowly shuffled toward him.

As soon as she was within arms reach, he grabbed hold of her. Then swiftly picking her up into his arms, he walked back to his vehicle that parked behind hers.

Placing the half-frozen Rey into the snowmobile, he quickly pulled a blanket from the backseat and covered the shivering Rey up. Then starting up the machine, he drove back toward his place.

When they reached his house, he parked the vehicle in the garage and picking up Rey, he walked into his modest home.

Placing her down on the couch, Darach quickly wrapped her bare feet into a heating pad, and then looking at her sorrowful expression, he said.

"I don't know what you were doing out there, but you could have lost your toes or your feet if you have stayed any longer." With a solemn face, he added. "Frostbite is the second common cause of losing limbs around here."

Blankly staring into his worried face, Rey had no desire to talk to anyone at the moment. She wanted to be left alone and _maybe just die?_ She thought disheartened.

When she didn't reply, he stood up and went into his tidy, small kitchen to make a hot cup of tea. Coming back from the kitchen, he sat down across from her and placed the steaming mug on the table between them.

Rey stared at the hot steam that looked inviting as it drifted off the mug. She wondered what was in it. With trembling hands, she reached for the cup, but in the last second, she changed her mind. Looking into his bright green eyes, she cleared her throat and with a hoarse whispering voice, she asked.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I saw you running away in the casino. You looked really upset, so I followed you." Darach replied. Then he added. "I know they will be looking for you soon. You cannot stay here for too long. I have to return you."

With pleading eyes Rey spoke up again.

"Please…. let me stay a little longer."

"Alright." Darach agreed, while a small smile appeared on his face. "Only if you drink this tea."

Nodding her head, and with trembling hands she reached again for the cup. Holding it in her hand, she savored its warmth.

A sweet aroma filled her mouth as she took a small sip. The tea tasted pleasantly good and taking another sip, Rey let out a small pleasurable moan as the dark liquid ran down her throat.

"Hmm..mmmm." She moaned. "This is really good."

Leaning back on his chair, Darach appraisingly looked at Rey, and then he said.

"It's an ancient Iridonian recipe. I'm glad you like it."

"Is that where you are from?" Rey inquired, also closely appraising Darach.

"Yes, my Lady." He politely replied.

Scoffing, Rey murmured. "Please don't call me like that. I'm no Lady."

"Then how would you like me to call you?" He asked with a smile.

"Call me Rey." She replied also smiling.

"I saw you the other day in the Arena." He asked, looking into her wide eyes. "The Zabrak, is he your mate?"

Taking a deep breath, and then letting out a shaky sigh, she said.

"Yes, he is."

Crossing his arms in front of him, Darach asked. "Do you love him?"

With teary eyes, Rey replied.

"Yes."

Looking into her upset and frustrated face Darach understood what she felt. A long time ago he knew that special feeling as well. However, it had been so long that he didn't want to dwell on those times if he could help it.

"He and his brother, they're very strong and capable individuals. I can assure you, they will survive here." Darach said, trying to make Rey feel at more ease.

"But for how long?" She asked with apprehension.

"I can't tell you the future." Darach replied. "But I've been here long enough to know who will survive and who will fall. Your friends seem to be extremely skillful in staying alive."

Taking another sip, she asked.

"How long have you been here?"

"A long time." Darach replied with a sorrowful face. "Too long."

"Did they trick you coming here or did they force you?" Rey pressed on.

Shaking his horned head Darach wasn't keen to talk about his past. He was never a social person and he always liked to keep things to himself. He never befriended anyone, fearing he would only lose them on the next fight. If he did have friends, they would describe him as a lonely, quiet and extremely clear-headed person.

However, with Rey he felt at ease. She seemed like a nice person. Even though she belonged with the higher-ups, and he was not supposed to mingle with her, for some unexplained reason he wanted her to stay and he wanted to talk to her. There was that sensation of unmistakable great power that he was able to pick up, as he looked at her sitting across from him.

"No, I wasn't tricked or forced." He started. "At that time I was stationed at Korriban."

"Korriban?" Rey asked.

"That planet is cursed." He said with distaste. Then he continued. "We were attacked. I almost lost my apprentice, but she managed to escape. I, on the other hand, I stayed and fought."

Staring at the table, he looked lost in thought.

"What happened?" Rey inquired, seeing his crestfallen expression.

"First time in my life I was defeated. As I was lying on the ship's floor barely clinging to life, I swore to myself that I would never be that weak and foolish, the way I was that night." Looking up, his eyes met Rey's. The look on his face was the same he had in the Arena not too long ago.

"I was found by the First Order and brought to Supreme Leader Snoke."

Leaning forward, Rey placed her empty mug on the table, and then she asked.

"What did he do to you?"

"He saved my life." Darach replied.

"But he also forced you to stay here." Rey said with slight anger. "As a prisoner to fight his little games."

"Indeed he did." Darach replied, then he looked at her empty mug and as he reached for it Rey grabbed hold of his hand and gazing into his eyes, she said in a firm tone.

"I will end him and all his precious little games once and for all."

Staring at her hand, he asked.

"And how will you do that?"

Reassuringly squeezing his hand, she said.

"Like this."

Sudden electricity rushed through Darach's hand. For a second it felt like a lightning strike had hit him hard, taking his breath away for a few seconds. Looking at her with frightened eyes, he tried to pull his hand out of hers, however her grip was surprisingly firm as she kept holding onto him. The immense power she had cast upon him, almost made him lose consciousness. Staring into her eyes, Darach noticed her eye color had changed from hazel to bright red. _Just like a Sith Lord,_ Darach thought with amazement. Then something strange happened. The power socket on his collar that he wore for close to a decade now, suddenly shorted out.

Letting him go, she leaned back on her chair and started to laugh.

Instantly, his hands shot to the back of his collar. With astonishment, Darach looked at her and with utter disbelief he asked.

"What have you done?"

When she stopped laughing, with an ironical tone, she said to him.

"I just did something that I was bred to do."

"What are you talking about?" Darach asked as he quickly sprung up.

"Oh please." Rey beamed at him. "Stay seated. I'm not here to hurt you. On the contrary, I'm here to help you."

"But you could have killed me?" Darach's accusing eyes penetrated into her now hazel eyes again.

"Yes, I could have, but I did not." Rey replied with a more serious face. Then she added. "Now, see if you are able to use the Force."

Taking a deep breath, he summoned the Force. Extending his arm, and with ease, he lifted up the table.

The happiness that was written on his face was marvelous. Placing the table down, he rushed to her and after picking her up; he planted a kiss on her cheeks. Letting her go, he looked at her and asked.

"How are you able to do this?"

"While I was out there alone tonight, Rey replied, I wanted to die. But as I stood on the ledge, a sudden realization hit me. If I'm a product of this great experiment, instead of throwing everything away in haste, I wanted to embrace it and use it against the ones they afflicted it upon me. So I did embrace it and it felt good."

Looking down on her hands, she called upon a small electrical spark that quickly shot out of her hands and shoved the mug of the table.

"I'm still new to this and I'm not sure how can I control it, but with time I will." Rey said with a smile.

"What did you feel when you did that?" Darach inquired, searching her eyes.

"First I felt total calmness, then a feeling of rage and emptiness took over me." Rey said. Then she added. "But I was still in control of my emotions. It feels strange, and powerful at the same time." With a sly smile she said. "It feels good."

"What are your plans?" Darach asked, hoping she would be able to break this vicious cycle of the pit fights for good.

"I know one thing." Rey said. "I can't do this alone. I need your help."

Placing his hands on her arms, he reassuringly said. "Rey, you can count on me."

In the wee hours of the morning, unnoticed, Darach dropped her off at the casino. Quickly making her way toward her room, in a matter of minutes, she reached her door.

Swiftly she opened the door and locked it behind.

"Where were you?" Kylo Ren's agitated voice called out from the dimness of her room.

"What are you doing here?" Rey asked, quickly locating him, sitting in the chair in front of her window.

Ignoring her question, he asked again.

"Where were you….Rey?"

Sudden anxiety enveloped her body. She knew she had to make up a lie, and do it quickly before he gets suspicious.

"I wanted to be left alone, so I decided to take one of the vehicles and drive up to the surface." Rey explained, hoping he won't probe into her little adventure furthermore.

"Without your shoes?" He cynically asked as he tossed her sandals in front of her feet.

Looking at her sandals, she said.

"I can't stand to wear them. They are uncomfortable."

"And what were you doing up there?" He asked, pointing toward the ceiling.

"I was just admiring the view." Rey nervously replied, stepping from one foot to the other.

Standing up, Kylo Ren approached Rey. Gazing into her eyes, he said in a low voice.

"Please Rey, next time do not run away like that. I understand lately there has been a lot happening and it may have took its toll on you. But please, let me in so I can ease your pain. You don't have to do this alone. As you said before, you were here for me, and I am here for you as well."

Quickly avoiding his stare, she looked toward the bathroom and said.

"I am extremely tired and need to take a shower. If you don't mind, I would like you to leave."

"Of course, go ahead and take a shower, however, I'm going to stay here with you tonight." Kylo Ren replied.

"What?' Rey exclaimed. "Why?"

"From now on until our wedding day, I will keep an eye on you. I want you to be with me at all times." He explained as Rey's eyes grew wider with astonishment.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked dumbfounded. She just couldn't believe how possessive he had become lately. This transformation was a scary thing to watch. She didn't understand why he was doing this. _Unless s_ he thought with amusement, _he doesn't trust the twins being here._

"And you were going to sleep where?" She asked annoyed.

Pulling up one of his eyebrows, with a sly smile he said.

"The bed is large enough for both of us." Then he quickly added. "Don't worry, I'm a gentleman."

It was late and Rey was just too tired to fight him. Reluctantly she agreed and walked into her bathroom, locking the door behind.

When she was done with the shower, she quickly wrapped herself into her robe. Stepping into the bedroom, she noticed he was already in bed, wearing a black sleeveless top, showing off his pale, muscular arms.

Swiftly, she made her way toward her walk-in closet. After getting dressed, she opened the closet door and walked up to the bed.

She looked very pretty in her dark gray nightgown, Kylo Ren thought excitingly watching her getting into bed with him.

Pulling the covers up to her chest, she looked at him and with a trace of irony in her voice, she asked.

"Are you happy now?"

"Actually I am." He said with a smile.

Laying his head down on his pillow, he looked at her and gestured her to do the same.

Facing him, she also laid her head down and looking into his satisfied face she said.

"Goodnight….Ben."

A shadow of amazement passed his face. Reaching out and gently touching her arm, he said in a hushed tone.

"Sweet dreams….princess."

Closing her eyes, Rey tuned out everything around her and after a few minutes, she was fast asleep.

It had been a while since he had shared a bed with a woman. He wished he could pull her closer and hold her, _but it will happen very soon,_ he eagerly thought, watching her sleep. Then, closing his eyes, he also fell asleep dreaming about their future.

The next day they all gathered in the Arena. While Kylo Ren announced the midday fight, Rey's mind was in turmoil. How will she able to communicate with Darach and come up with a plan to escape?

Beside Rey sat Emperor Valkorion's daughter, Vaylin. Her long, dark hair was set in a simple braid, while her crimson eyes gazed at the back of Kylo Ren. Again, her brothers were nowhere to be seen, which made Rey somewhat happy. Her father sat right beside Snoke and his lovely wife Senya took a seat beside her husband.

As Kylo Ren announced the competitors of the next game, a sudden excited roar from the audience enveloped the Arena's ground.

Lost in thoughts, Rey turned toward Vaylin and asked. "What is going on?"

"Where have you been?" Vaylin mockingly asked looking into Rey's eyes. Then with a frown, she said. "The usual from my dear brothers."

"Your brothers?" Rey asked incredibly.

Turning her attention back to Kylo Ren, Vaylin replied with slight anger.

"Father always allows them to compete in the pit. However, he would never allow me, even though I'm just as powerful as them."

"Your brothers are going to fight in the pit today?" Rey asked with disbelief. She had no idea, how powerful they were, but if they were allowed to fight every time, _it meant only one thing,_ Rey thought in horror; _they were defeating their opponents._

Without thinking, Rey sprung up and quickly approached Kylo Ren.

Standing beside him, she looked down to see an older Jedi with a younger one standing in the fighting pit. A sudden relief coursed through her body. This was the first time she was happy not to see Maul or Savage. Then her eyes landed on Kylo Ren, looking at her with curiosity.

"Eager aren't we?" Kylo Ren asked trying to be funny. But as her face stayed grim, he quickly looked away and waited for the chest to arrive.

While one of the soldiers brought over the chest, Rey's attention focused on the ground watching the two Jedi. Instantly, she felt great worry for them, but mostly for the younger one. His life will end today and that thought almost brought tears to her eyes.

After the chest arrived, Kylo Ren rummaged through it and found the two lightsabers he was looking for. Placing them on the rim of the balconies railing, he looked up and signaled the guards to open up the other door that led to the Arena's ground.

As soon as the large double doors opened, the Emperor's twins steadily walked in holding their weapons in hand. Stopping beside the two Jedi, they curiously sized them up and then looking up, their eyes landed on Kylo Ren and then on Rey.

Picking up the lightsabers, Kylo Ren tossed them to the Jedi. The older one swiftly grabbed it, but the younger one didn't reach it in time and dropped in front of his boots. This made the crowd laugh loudly and squeal at him.

Hearing the crowd's mocking response, made Rey want to lash out and silence them all, but she knew that was pointless. _What can I do all by myself?_ She angrily asked herself tightly clutching the railing.

"Let the games begin!" Kylo Ren shouted.

When Rey's eyes met Arcann's again, he cracked a wicked smile, and then he winked at her. Then turning toward the opponents, and activating his weapon, he and his brother were ready to start the fight.

 _These two look like easy prey,_ Arcann thought with distaste. Then looking up, for a second, his eyes met Kylo Ren's. A smug frown appeared on his face looking down on Arcann.

Turning his attention back to the two Jedi, Arcann didn't want to waste time waiting on them to make the first move. Quickly spinning his bright yellow lightsaber, with full force, he attacked the older Jedi.

While both brothers were slashing at the two Jedi, Rey's pulse quickened seeing them fight. The brothers moved in perfect unison, creating an unstoppable power couple. Watching them, Rey now understood why their sister had said they always win.

The one with the black outfit attacked Kenobi again. His swift, hard blows were hard to evade. He looked to be about the same age, but his fighting technique was more efficient than Kenobi's. Over the years, Kenobi has learned plenty of techniques, but not being able to use the Force made it much harder to stay on top. Even though his opponent did not utilize his Force powers, he was not someone to take lightly.

Then his eyes landed on his Master as he diligently fought back from the other one. A couple of times, he even seemed like he was getting the upper hand. However, the brothers were younger and in better condition than his Master. Eventually, one of them proceeded to knock him down. As Qui-Gon Jinn fell on his back, the twin in white swiftly landed on top of him and raised his weapon high.

With frightened eyes, Kenobi helplessly watched as his Master was about to be killed. Quickly pushing on the twin in black, Kenobi managed to get away from him as he sped toward his Master.

However, his great efforts were fruitless, as he witnessed his Master being stabbed through the heart.

"NOOOOOOO!" Kenobi's painful shouting echoed through the Arena. At the same time, the crowd's excited ear-splitting screams and whistling rang in Rey's ears. She felt sick to her stomach. She wanted to turn away, but she just couldn't bring herself to do that. The young Jedi was still alive, _but for how long?_ Rey desperately thought.

With pleading eyes, she looked at Kylo Ren and begged.

"Please, stop this madness now."

With a faint frown, he looked at her and said.

"I can't do that." Then he added. "Even if I wanted to I'm not able to do that. Only the Supreme Leader can stop this. These are his rules."

"Then I'll ask him myself." Rey said with determination. But before she had the chance to turn and leave, he grabbed hold of her arm and said.

"He won't bend for you."

"We'll see about that." Rey spat at him. Then pulling her arm out of his grip, she approached Snoke.

Standing in front of him, she looked him in the eyes and composing herself she spoke up.

"Please, just once, stop this game."

"And why should I do that?" Snoke deep, raspy voice mockingly asked.

"Because I'm begging you." With gritted teeth, Rey pleaded.

"And because of your petty pleadings, do you think I will comply?" Snoke asked. Gesturing with his long arms, he added. "Look around you, my dear. Do you see this?"

Not wanting to look around, Rey kept her eyes fixated on him. Then he continued.

"This is what they all want. This is what they all crave for. Do you think I'm going to strip away this satisfaction from them?" He asked, intently gazing into her accusing eyes.

Rey sensed he wasn't going to comply with her pleading. Sudden anger like fire engulfed her body. She felt like she was burning on the inside. Swallowing hard and with clenched fists, she turned around and rushing past Kylo Ren she jumped over the balcony. Landing on her feet, she looked straight at the amazed twins and the remaining Jedi.

While the crowd shouted with excitement, Rey extended her arm and called the older Jedi's lightsaber to her. As soon as the weapon landed in her hand, she quickly kicked off her high heel boots and ripped open the bottom of her dress to be able to move freely.

"Get back up here NOW!" Kylo Ren's angry voice called down from above.

Realizing that she was ignoring him, he turned back toward his Master only to see him shaking his head in disagreement. With wide eyes, Kylo Ren accusingly looked at his Master. He wanted to disobey him and jump after her, but he was his Master and he had to obey his wish even though he disagreed with it.

Swiftly turning around, he looked down and noticed Rey had already reached the young Jedi. Then he saw movement from the corner of his eye. Placing her pale, long fingers on the railing, Vaylin looked down and then to Kylo Ren. With a sweet but smug voice, she said.

"Interesting fiancé you've gotten there. Too bad, she might not survive today's fight."

Ignoring her rude comment, Kylo Ren's attention focused on Rey again. While his pulse accelerated, he hoped the twins were smart enough not to hurt her. Otherwise, he would have no choice but to disobey his Master, and he knew exactly what the consequences of that were. With worried eyes, he watched Rey, as she stood beside the young Jedi.

"Stay behind me." Rey ordered the astonished Kenobi.

"What are you doing?" Arcann called to Rey.

"Teaching both of you a lesson." Rey mockingly replied looking from one twin to the other.

Pointing his weapon toward Kenobi, Arcann said.

"He is mine."

"Over my dead body." Rey snarled.

"Over your body, right?" Arcann teasingly said as his eyes hungrily roamed over Rey. With a mischievous grin, he added. "We'll see about that."

Igniting her newly acquired weapon, Rey firmly held the green lightsaber in her hands. Then with a powerful battle cry, she attacked the twins.

Following her lead, Kenobi also attacked them as well.

Rey's weapon quickly collided with Thexan's lightsaber, enveloping the area with a high-pitched electrical sound. Then swiftly ducking down, she smacked her heel into his left shin, making him cry out in anger and pain. In a split second she sprung up and as she turned around her heel found its way into Thexan's groin area, knocking the air out of him for a few seconds.

As Thexan tried to recuperate from his injury, Arcann quickly force pushed Kenobi away, sending him flying across the Arena's ground. When the young Jedi was incapacitated, he then focused his full attention on Rey.

 _So, that is how you want to play this game?_ He thought with anticipation.

Gesturing her to come closer, he was waiting on her to make a move.

Spinning her weapon in front of her, Rey steadied herself. Tearing her eyes away from Kenobi's unconscious body, she looked at Arcann and with a sly smile, she teasingly said.

"Come and get me."

"With pleasure." Arcann replied with a devilish grin.

As he rushed toward her, the excited crowd screamed with pleasure and amazement.

Then Rey noticed Thexan was also heading her way. Unlike his brother, his face showed no excitement but instead anger and frustration. Arcann was the first to reach Rey. Swinging his weapon, he quickly collided with hers. Then pushing back on her, he leaned forward. When his face was only inches away from hers, he sent a mocking kiss toward her, making Rey recoil in shock.

 _What's wrong with this one?_ Rey asked herself, quickly spinning around, getting away from him. Then as she lifted her arm up, her weapon forcefully collided with Thexan's, making her arm tremble under his attack.

Realizing she may have taken too much on, taking both men on at the same time, she quickly called for Kenobi's lightsaber, which immediately landed in her left hand.

Having two weapons helped her to be more efficient against them while evading their attacks. However, she felt that they were both holding back.

 _Of course, they don't want to hurt me,_ she thought annoyed, while she put most of her strength into her moves.

 _But I can still hurt them,_ Rey thought as darkness started to take over her rational mind. But before she was going to make her powerful move, she stopped herself.

 _No,_ she thought with despair. _If I reveal my true self, my plans to save Maul and Savage and to escape would not be accomplished as I had thought out._

Stepping back and lowering her weapons, she threw them on the ground in front of the twin's boots. However, none of them made a move on her. Deactivating his weapon, Arcann placed it on his belt. Stepping closer, he looked down on Rey's calm face and as he gestured toward Kenobi, he asked.

"Tell me, princess, what should we do with him?"

Breathing shallow, she looked from him to his twin, who still held his weapon ready to carry out his brother's wishes.

Gazing into Arcann's piercing eyes, Rey took a deep breath and said.

"Mercy…. please."

Grazing his lower lips with his teeth, and letting out a deep sigh, Arcann bowed his head and said.

"Anything for you…. my princess."

Signaling to his brother, Thexan also deactivated his weapon. Turning toward the crowd and lifting his arms up, Thexan's deep voice boomed over the Arena.

"Mercy!"

Then he shouted again.

"Mercy!"

Immediately, many from the crowd shouted the same word over and over again.

"Mercy!" They all shouted in unison. "Mercy!"

Soon the whole Arena was pleading for mercy. Pleading for the life of young Kenobi.

Turning around, the pleased Kylo Ren looked at his Master and was waiting on his commands.

Nodding his head, Snoke signaled to his apprentice. Turning back to the crowd, Kylo Ren lifted up his right hand and gave thumbs up, showing everyone, the Supreme Leader's exceptional decision.

Extremely loud cheers and whistling drifted up from the satisfied crowd. Looking around, Rey's eyes landed on the still unconscious Jedi, and then on Darach, who came in with a few guards to collect the fallen ones. Acknowledging her with a small smile, he quickly ordered his men to collect the two men. When he approached Rey to pick up the weapons, she stopped him and said.

"I will give it to him."

Nodding his head, he turned and left the Arena's grounds followed by his guards.

Picking up the weapons, Arcann handed them to Rey. As she took it from him, his fingers lightly brushed against hers. With a solemn face, he said.

"You are too generous, but also strong. One day you might make an exceptional Empress."

Furrowing her eyebrows Rey looked at him. _It was a strange thing for him to say,_ she thought confused.

Leaving the fighting pit, Rey walked back to the balcony. Walking past Kylo Ren, she approached Snoke.

Sitting beside Snoke, the Emperor's deep blue eyes intently and curiously sized Rey up. Then his attention landed on his sons standing behind Rey.

Placing the Jedi's weapons in front of Snoke, she said.

"Allow me to tend to his injuries…grandfather."

With an unpleasant face, Snoke replied.

"And why would you want to do that?"

"Because that is the right thing to do." Rey replied staring into his blank face.

"You have too much of your mother in you." Snoke said, dismissing Rey.

To hear about her mother from him was not something she wanted to hear right now.

Turning her back at him, she started to walk away, when he added.

"That will be corrected soon."

Ignoring his words, she kept walking.

Standing at the railing, Kylo Ren was about to follow Rey, when his eyes met Snoke's. Shaking his head, Snoke signaled him to let her go.

As she finally left the balcony, Rey let out a huge sigh of relief. She needed to be alone for this little trip. Her fast steps quickly took her down below where the prisoners were kept. Not worrying about the curious looks or her ragged appearance, she made her way toward the infirmary.

* * *

"She is a….kick...ass." Kenobi slurred as he came to.

"Who are you talking about?" Maul asked as he helped Darach tend to the young Jedi's injuries.

Lifting up one of his arms, Kenobi said.

"Your better half."

Suddenly, Maul's hands grabbed hold of his neck. As he squeezed, he angrily said.

"Speak clearly or I will finish the job."

"Maul." Darach said, peeling his arms off Kenobi. "Let him be. I'll explain it to you."

When Darach finished, Maul looked at him with shock. Then before he could have asked a question, the infirmary door opened and Rey walked in.

Quickly walking up to Kenobi, and as she sent a sweet smile to Maul, she said in a hurry.

"I only have a few minutes. Let me do this."

Grabbing hold of his hand, she watched as his eyes opened wide when the pure electrical charge entered his already battered body. With an accusing and fearful expression, he looked at Rey, whose eyes turned bright red, staring straight into his soul. Kenobi tightly clutched down on the side of the bed and tried not to scream as the pain slowly increased. He wanted to ask why she was doing this, but no sound escaped his gaping mouth.

Then within a few seconds, his collar also shortened out, letting him free of his chains.

As soon as she finished with him, Rey turned to Maul and pressing her lips to his, she embraced him as the electricity painfully rushed through him like wildfire rushing through dried out woods. A mixture of pain and pleasure engulfed his body, as he tightly held onto her. After a few seconds of passionate kissing, his collar also shortened out, leaving Maul now free to go.

Then he heard her voice in his dazed head.

 _Please, Maul, wait for my signal. And then we will be free._

Letting him go, she nodded her head toward Darach, and then swiftly she left the room.

"Lucky you." Kenobi said with a forced smile, as he tried to shift his beat-up body on the bed. Then his expression turned sorrowful.

"They killed him." He mumbled as tears swelled in his eyes.

"What has just happened?" Maul asked still amazed staring at the closed door.

"Something that I haven't experienced in a while." Darach replied with a wink. Then he added. "I need to talk to you and your brother. I'll come by later to your cell."

Looking down on his hands, Maul felt the power of the Force swiftly rushing through him. This special sensation was what he truly needed now. He could have _crushed anything at this moment,_ he eagerly thought. But then her words came to his mind and he slowly calmed himself down. He was certain, she had a plan and he couldn't wait till it was executed.

* * *

It was the morning of her wedding and still, there was no word from her father. Even though he was invited, he hasn't shown up yet and Rey had a peculiar feeling about his absence. Somehow she knew not to trust him, but thinking about today excited her. Not because she was getting married to Kylo Ren, but because she had planned for their escape.

The wheels were already in motion. She was certain; today will be crazier than usual around here. They just had to wait for the right moment and this place with its people will be history. Every single prisoner will be freed and that thought brought a smile to Rey's face.

 _Everything is going to be okay,_ she thought reassuringly as she turned and looked at Kylo Ren peacefully sleeping beside her. His dark hair was all messed up sticking to his forehead, while one of his arms was neatly tucked beneath his head. _He looks cute,_ she thought with disheartenment. She still hasn't decided what will happen to him.

She knew he was loyal to Snoke, but she also knew he loved her and to choose between his Master and her, she truly hoped he will choose the latter. Even though nothing has happened between them, _or ever will happen,_ she thought, watching him sleep, she still liked him and would want him to be a possible ally to fight against her father if need be. However, there was Maul and she was certain, he didn't want to do anything with him. _Hopefully, I can persuade him,_ Rey thought with worry. However, there was another disturbing thought that came to her mind. It was the Emperor and his family.

Since their arrival, Rey slowly started to get to know them. They seemed polite and friendly, but Rey was no fool. She saw right through them. They made her nervous and gave her a peculiar feeling deep inside and Rey hated this feeling. The daughter, Vaylin was definitely the most dangerous one, after the father. The mother, Rey was not certain about, but the twins also disturbed her thoughts. Thankfully since their fight, Rey barely ran into them, which she was glad about. _Maybe Ben sensed it too and that is why he wanted to spend the nights here?_ She thought with a frown, _to keep me safe?_

Shifting on the bed, she turned away from him and slowly got up. After her shower, she walked back into the room and heard a knock on the door.

Cracking the door open, she looked outside to see Shae standing in the corridor holding a large duffle bag.

"Good morning." Shae beamed at Rey. "May I come in?"

"Good morning." Rey replied with a big yawn. Then she quickly added. "Did you get it?"

"Yes, of course, days ago." Shae replied. Then she asked. "Is he still…"

But before she could have finished her sentence, Rey swiftly cut in.

"Yes, he is." Then she added. "Please let's keep this between us, okay?"

Rey wasn't happy to tell Shae about him sleeping with her, however, she needed to get the keys from his room, and for that very reason, Rey had no choice but to tell her. Even though she assured her about their platonic sleeping arrangements, Rey was still skeptical about her knowing this. She might not believe her, and Rey wasn't ready to explain this to Maul if for some reason he found out. "No need to come in. Just leave this here with me. I'm able to get ready by myself."

"Are you sure?" Shae asked, trying to peek inside the room.

"I'm certain." Rey replied and then grabbed the bag out of her hands. Quickly saying thank you, she closed the door.

Putting the bag down, she opened it and saw a large box wrapped in deep purple silk. Taking it out, she opened it to see a white and silver fused silk dress with matching silver heels. There was an envelope addressed to her beneath the dress. Lifting it up, Rey opened it and with a frown, she read the contents of the letter.

When she finished reading, she looked at the dress and took it out of the box. The silky material felt extremely soft beneath her fingers. The dress looked fairly expensive and Rey's mind was in turmoil about it.

 _Why would she send this to me?_ Rey thought with confusion. She knew she had to wear something special for today's occasion, but why would she have to wear the Emperor's wife's wedding dress? The gift was beautiful, but still, it left Rey wondering.

As she contemplated her wedding gift, she heard Kylo Ren's raspy voice.

"What is that?" He asked sitting up, rubbing the sleepiness out of his eyes.

"A gift from the Emperor's wife." Rey replied, showing him the dress.

"A gift huh?" Kylo Ren asked. Then he added. "You know it's considered to be bad luck to see the bride or her dress before the wedding."

"Why would you say that?" Rey anxiously asked.

"Never mind." He said with a sly grin. "It's for superstitious people and luckily I'm not one of them."

Seeing Rey holding her wedding dress in front of her was a perfect picture to wake up to. He couldn't wait till tonight when they were properly married and finally he was going to be able to have her. That thought gave him a rush of excitement. Getting out of bed, and trying to cover up his excitement, he headed for the bathroom.

When he was done, and after getting dressed, he approached Rey and lifting up her chin, he looked into her worried eyes and said.

"I have to go to get dressed properly. I'll see you soon."

Planting a quick kiss on her lips, he left the room, leaving the anxious Rey alone.

It was almost midday when they came for her. Opening the door, she found herself face to face with four members of the Knights of Ren. After leaving her bedchamber, they escorted her to the Arena, where the ceremony was about to take place.

As soon as she entered the balcony, she noticed many guests had already taken their seats, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Among the guests were the Emperor and his wife and daughter sitting in the front row. His twin sons took the back row, intently watching Rey's every move.

Looking over the railing she saw Maul and Savage with the other prisoners standing still watching in silence. For a split second, her eyes met Maul's. His piercing yellow eyes dangerously gazed upon her. Then he slightly bowed his head, showing her he was ready.

Surrounded by his loyal red guards Snoke sat in his chair accompanied by a man in a deep burgundy robe, standing beside him. _He must be the chaplain,_ Rey thought, watching his pale, liver-spotted wide forehead. In front of the man stood Kylo Ren all dressed up in his black uniform.

His face looked composed, but Rey knew better, as she looked at his gloved hands curled into tight fists. _He is nervous,_ Rey thought. Then she heard Snoke.

"As customs dictates, your father should be the one who walks you down the aisle. Because of his absence, we have no choice but to break with tradition."

Looking at Rey he continued.

"My dearest friend and guest, Emperor Valkorion has offered to give you away."

As soon as he said that, the Emperor stood up and approached Rey. A flicker of a smile crossed his stern face, as Rey looked upon him. With a low voice, he said.

"You look beautiful. This dress fits you perfectly."

Swallowing hard, Rey laced her arm into his and then he started to walk with her closer to the waiting groom.

 _She is the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen_ , Kylo Ren thought with awe, watching Rey. He felt restless and unusually nervous as she was handed to him.

There was no music or anything special beyond the usual. On the contrary, it was eerily quite as her hand was placed into Kylo Ren's. _This wedding is nothing in comparison to the one on Dathomir,_ Rey sourly thought.

Holding her hand, he led her on the podium in front of Snoke.

Nodding his head toward the chaplain, Snoke signaled him to start the ceremony.

Standing in front of the bride and groom, the old man started to speak. His raspy voice carried over the balcony.

"Today is a very special day. We are here to witness this man and woman entering into a contract of marriage. The Force and the Makers will bless their matrimony. Through their unity, a promising future will arise for all."

Then his dark eyes scanned the crowd and continued.

"If there is anyone who would oppose this wedding, please speak up now or hold your tongue forever."

Hearing his words made Rey cringe for a second. She hoped Maul would stay put and not do anything reckless. However, the voice that loudly spoke up was not Maul's but one of the twins, Arcann's.

"I do oppose!" He yelled.

Instantly, everybody turned and looked toward him.

Standing in the back with his brother, Arcann looked at Snoke and then he shouted.

"You can't marry her to this nobody! She was promised to me and my brother!"

A sudden confusion enveloped the crowd. But when Rey looked at the Emperor and his family, she noticed they sat there completely calm. _Like they knew this was going to happen,_ Rey thought with astonishment. Then her eyes landed on Kylo Ren. The disbelief and rage on his face were palpable.

Lifting up his hand, Snoke signaled to everyone to calm down. Then he addressed Arcann.

"And who promised her to you?"

Stepping out of line, the twins stood side by side and drew their weapons.

"Her father, Emperor Palpatine!" Arcann shouted, igniting his weapon.

Immediately, the uneventful ceremony was engulfed with pure chaos.

To be continued...

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	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14.**

Everything happened so fast; Rey had no time to comprehend the danger of the situation. The first thing that caught her eye was Senya, who sprung up and after igniting her lightsaber; she attacked the red guards, while her husband took on Snoke.

Tearing her eyes away from their monstrous fight, Rey's attention focused on Kylo Ren and the twins. All three fought like mad dogs against one another. However, to Rey's surprise, Kylo Ren proved to be a worthy warrior as he skillfully evaded and attacked the two men. Then she noticed many of the guests had started to fight with the Knights of Ren. While the maddening chaos ensued around her, she quickly ran toward the chest that held all the lightsabers.

Breaking the lock off, she opened it and took out several lightsabers. Clutching them close to her chest, she ran toward the edge of the balcony and threw all of them over the railing, except one. Looking down, for a second her frightened eyes met Mauls. Then igniting her weapon, she turned around and ran back to help Kylo Ren.

As soon as the weapons reached the ground, Maul with Savage and Kenobi rushed to pick them up. The one Maul picked up was the green lightsaber that belonged to Kenobi's old Master. But when he looked at Kenobi, he noticed he picked up his double-edged weapon, holding it firmly in his hand.

Calling for his weapon, it quickly flew into his open hand, leaving Kenobi astonished.

"Take this!" Maul shouted over the confusion that completely engulfed the Arena's grounds now.

As soon as his Master's weapon landed in his hands, Kenobi quickly activated it and immediately engaged with a guard, who was trying to stop the prisoners from escaping.

With the help of Darach, and Asajj, one-by-one, all prisoners were freed from their shackles and ready to fight their way out of this hellhole. While Savage and Asajj fought the guards, Maul's attention turned toward the balcony. To get up there, he would have to go through one of the doors and fight his way there. However, he didn't want to take that chance to get caught or killed in the corridors.

Quickly his eyes found Darach, who bravely fought against some of the guards that were trying to stop everyone. Rushing to him, Maul helped him to cut down the three guards and then turning to Darach he shouted in a hurry, as he pointed upwards toward the balcony.

"Give me a boost and put me up there now!"

Standing beneath the balcony, Darach closed his eyes and started to concentrate. Immediately, Maul felt himself slowly elevating. Then suddenly, he was thrust up with a powerful Force push, catapulting him upward.

With rage in his eyes, Maul flew into the fighting mob, quickly cutting down anyone who stood in his way. Looking around the crazed crowd, he noticed a lady in white armor fighting against the red guards, mercilessly killing them. Then his eyes landed on a tall man also dressed in white armor, who was engaged in a powerful Force lightning fight with the Supreme Leader. However, the joy of killing the Supreme Leader himself was quickly taken away, as a young woman in a dark outfit rushed to help the older man. With their combined Force powers, they gravely injured the leader, leaving him crumpled on the floor.

Then Maul's attention turned toward the other side of the balcony, where amongst the fighting guards and guests were Rey and Kylo Ren dueling against the twins. For a second he was confused, but then as he was about to rush over to help Rey, someone landed on his back, making him fall forward. As soon as Maul hit the ground, he twisted his body and was about to cut the foe down, when he noticed it was Kenobi.

Shrugging his shoulders, Kenobi cracked an awkward smile and said.

"I thought I'd follow you."

Jumping to his feet, Maul pulled the young Jedi up and said with a growl.

"Just watch and learn."

Then he rushed toward Rey, closely followed by Kenobi.

This dress was getting _hotter and unbearably uncomfortable,_ Rey thought with annoyance as she evaded Thexan's advances. It was getting so intolerable that she was having a really hard time concentrating on the fight itself. Every time she moved, the dress constricted her. Even though it wasn't tight, she still felt like being in a gilded cage wearing the damned thing. She wanted nothing more than to rip it off and throw it away. The other irritating thing that bothered her was how Thexan fought with her. It was obvious he didn't want her to get hurt and that further infuriated Rey. _The gloves need to come off,_ Rey thought with anger as she tried to conjure up her secret power and end this futile fight once and for all.

Glancing over to Kylo Ren, she noticed he and Arcann seemed evenly matched. Both men fought with powers so great, it left only devastation around them.

However, when she tried to call upon the Force, somehow she was not able to do so.

 _What is going on?_ Rey desperately thought, trying to bring forward her newfound powers.

Then sudden dizziness engulfed her and she almost fell over. Gazing up into Thexan's ice-blue eyes, Rey noticed slight worry crossing his face. She wanted to open her mouth and tell him to stop looking at her, but she was not able to do that either.

Desperately clutching the front of her dress, Rey felt out of breath and the sensation of being suffocated took over her, which terrified her to the core. She had never felt anything like this in her whole life, and the worst thing was that she had no idea what had caused it.

Stepping closer, Thexan knocked the weapon out of her hand and pulling her up, he held her close and whispered into her ear.

"Don't fight it." Then he added as his lips found hers. "Shhh." He whispered gently kissing her. "Just close your eyes and go to sleep."

Feeling his lips on hers gave Rey the shivers. She was certain they were doing something to her. Desperately trying to stay conscious, she started to tug on the front of her dress to pull it off.

 _It's the dress!_ She thought fearfully as she felt herself falling into a deep sleep.

Thexan swiftly picked up the barely conscious Rey and was about to leave, when he turned around and found himself face to face with an enraged Zabrak and his companion.

Instantly he recognized the young Jedi, but the other one, with the glowing red eyes, he had no idea who he was. Holding Rey in his arms, and with a grin, he said.

"Get out of my way."

"Where are you taking her?" Kenobi spoke up.

"None of your business." Thexan replied annoyed. "Now get out of my way."

With gritted teeth, Maul growled at him.

"Put her down."

"No." Thexan replied, slowly backing away from them. But as he looked from Maul to his brother, he noticed Kylo Ren was overpowering his brother. And to lose Arcann over Rey, Thexan wouldn't allow that to happen. Quickly he threw Rey to Maul and ran to help his brother.

Swiftly catching her, Maul looked at Rey and shook her a few times trying to wake her up. Then he heard her frail voice.

"The dress." She said in a hushed tone. "Take…it ….off."

For a second Maul was left perplexed. He didn't understand why she said that. Then he heard Kenobi again.

"The dress." He insisted. "Take it off."

"Turn away." Maul ordered him as he violently ripped off the wedding dress. As soon as the dress was off, Rey came to her senses. With eyes that matched Maul's, she sat up and snarled at Maul.

"Give me a weapon."

A huge grin appeared on Maul's face. Then planting a kiss on her lips, he stood up pulling Rey with him. Quickly taking his tunic off, he wrapped it on Rey and with a grin he said.

"Let's finish this."

With weapons in hand, all three turned toward Kylo Ren and the twins. But before they made their move, Rey's determined voice came into Maul's head.

 _Please don't hurt him._

Maul immediately knew whom she meant by saying that. Still, he didn't understand why she wanted him alive. The first thing he truly wanted to do was to kill him, but after hearing her voice, he silently agreed with her. Quickly, they jumped into the fight that was as fierce as Maul shirtless appearance.

Their fight lasted only a few minutes, when all the prisoners including Savage flooded the balcony, cutting down everyone in sight.

The twins and their family with their guests were quickly outnumbered and overpowered by their enemies. Even though they were extremely powerful, still the great numbers of Force users that took over the balcony were just too much to take on. While they retreat, Arcann turned around and yelled back.

"It's not over! We'll meet again!"

Then they were off, fleeing the fight, defeated.

However, Vaylin was still fighting and didn't notice Savage approaching, and with a hard blow, struck her down, causing her to crumble to the ground, unconscious.

Crouching beside Snoke's dead body, Kylo Ren's loud, frustrated voice, cut through the madness.

"Stand down! All of you!"

Immediately, guards and prisoners alike stopped and looked toward him.

"We're are not each others enemy!" Kylo Ren roared. Pointing to the unconscious Vaylin, he yelled. "The enemy is she and her people!"

Looking at his Master's face he knew he was at peace now and at one with the Force.

Placing his hand on Snoke's face, Kylo Ren gently closed his eyes and then stood up. Approaching Darach and extending his arm, he shook Darach's hand and with a determined voice, he said.

"Instead of fighting each other, we need to work together. The Supreme Leader is dead. And the enemy is out there, who wants us dead."

"I agree." Darach replied.

A sudden proudness engulfed Rey watching the two men shaking hands. In her heart, she knew Kylo Ren was more than just a cruel apprentice of Snoke. But as she looked around and measured up the great damage of this unexpected fight, the sight that lay before her eyes were unbearable to observe. There were body parts of guests and guards and prisoners alike scattered all over the balcony. It was a massacre that was hard to look at.

Turning toward Maul, she fiercely hugged him. Glancing toward Kylo Ren, she said to Maul.

"We need to forget about the past and move forward."

"How could you do this to me?" Maul asked, peeling her arms off him. He still didn't understand what was going on with her and the apprentice, who now became the leader of this damned place. "All this time, while I was locked up here, all I wanted to do was to kill his sorry ass." Maul said in a low growl. "Why are you doing this?"

Then in a split second, it dawned on him. With accusing eyes, he looked at Rey and asked.

"You and him?!"

Seeing his doubtful face, Rey swiftly replied. "No Maul. There is nothing between us. But while I was also locked up here, I came to know him, and I realized he is not a bad person."

Rubbing his face, Maul felt frustrated and annoyed. Still, her honest words made him feel a little better. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she teasingly bit onto his lower lip and said with a smile.

"I missed you so much."

Gazing into her eyes, with a grin he said.

"I think I missed you more."

Then he pressed his lips onto hers, kissing her with great passion.

To see them passionately kissing made Kylo Ren extremely jealous. However, the sadness and anger he felt at the moment had to be controlled. He couldn't allow losing his head over her. He knew she cared for him and possibly in the future, she might get bored of the Zabrak or it could be _the other way around,_ he thought with a spark of hope. However, right now he had to focus on deciding what will be the fate of the Arena. With Snoke's passing, now he was the leader of the casino, and he needed to decide about its fate. Looking at his men and the prisoners, a thought came to his mind.

"You don't have to tell me, I can just see it in your eyes how much you loathe this place, and how much you want to get out of here." He spoke up, as his eyes searched the crowd around him. Then he said something that surprised everyone. "I will not continue on with the Arena. You are free to go."

For a few seconds, everyone stayed quiet, not realizing what he had just said. Then a sudden cheer went up from the prisoners. When they quieted down, he continued. "If you want, you can join me and leave this place to fight another day against our new enemy. The choice is yours. Make it now."

No one made a move. Everyone looked at him and waited for more.

"Aright then. Before we leave." Kylo Ren resumed. "I want to burn this place down to the ground. I do not want anyone ever to set foot in here. What do you say?"

An extremely loud roar enveloped the balcony as all prisoners shouted in agreement all at once. Then he turned to Maul and Rey and said.

"Go get your belongings before this place goes up in flames."

Lightly touching his arm, Rey said with a smile.

"Thank you."

With a small smile, Kylo Ren looked at Rey and said.

"Anything for you."

Then his eyes landed on Maul and extending his hand, he waited on Maul to accept it.

Reluctantly, Maul shook his hand. _I could always end him later, if he does try to trick us,_ he thought with anticipation. Letting his hand go, Maul turned to Rey and said.

"Go get your things."

Then to Kylo Ren he said.

"Where is my ship?"

"It's still on the Supremacy." Kylo Ren replied.

"Then I would like to get back there and reclaim my property." Maul replied intently looking into his eyes.

After getting dressed and collecting her satchel, Rey left her room and quickly headed back to the Arena. Passing Snoke's room, she heard something. Through the slightly ajar door, she noticed a faint glow lightly filtering through. First, she thought someone had already started a fire. But as she opened the door, she realized it wasn't a fire, but a mosaic tile on the floor, glowing with a blueish tint. Astonished, Rey stepped closer and looked down.

A light was emitting through the floor where the two sides, the light, and dark joined. Squatting down, she reached out and touched the tile. On contact, a high electrical charge rushed through her hand. Instantly, images of all kinds showed up in front of her wide eyes.

She saw a planet, then a mountain with a large cave. Then inside the cave, she saw a wooden door engraved with a symbol just like the mosaic tile. Then her vision took her somewhere far, somewhere deep within the past. Looking down on her hands, she noticed they looked much larger and different. Her hands were not hers anymore but someone else's. She was in someone's body and as she looked up, she saw a man walking into the huge chamber she was standing in. His red skin reminded Rey of Maul, but he wasn't a Zabrak but a different species. Instead of horns, his head was bald and around his mouth hung two small tentacles, slightly jiggling as he moved closer.

When his jet black eyes found hers, his stern face morphed into a vicious grin and with a swift move he struck her down with his great Force lightning power, causing an extremely painful sensation within her body. Then standing above Rey, he unleashed another round of Force lightning, making Rey scream with agony. The pain was immensely overwhelming. Rey felt her whole body was on fire. Clutching the left side of her face, she felt her skin was like molten lava. Then she heard her own voice that sounded just like Snoke's.

"Why...Vitiate...why?"

Squatting down next to her, his pleased eyes roamed over her deformed body. Then with a deep voice, he said.

"You overstepped your boundaries, old man. I can't allow you to do that. Not when I'm around." Then with a smug face, he added. "And I can assure you, I'll be here for all eternity and will be around while the universe exists."

His malicious voice was still ringing in Rey's ears as she came out of the horrible trance.

Lying on the ground, Rey started to cry. She was certain in the vision she was inside of Snoke's body and the man who struck her down was none other than the twin's father, Valkorion. Nevertheless, with his different appearance, Rey knew it was him.

 _He's trying to tell me something,_ Rey thought, while her heart rate slowed down. Then a thought came to her mind. _The ring!_

Quickly getting up, she left the room and rushed toward the Arena.

Kylo Ren was ordering his guards to leave everything behind when Rey reached Snoke's body. Lowering herself next to him, she gently lifted his hand and pulled the ring off his finger. It was too big for her to wear, so she placed it into her satchel, next to the Jedi books.

"What are you doing?"

Kylo Ren's voice was heard behind her.

"Just saying goodbye."

Rey replied, feeling a little guilty about lying to him.

"It's time to leave." He said, pulling her up. Holding her hand in his, he gently rubbed his thumb on the top of her hand and said with a thin smile.

"A new life awaits for us and for everyone else. I'm glad that from now on we will be able to work together." Looking down on Snoke's body, with a low voice he said.

"He was like a father to me. But now he is gone and the only family I have left is his granddaughter." Saying that he looked up and gazed into her eyes.

Reassuringly squeezing his hand, coyly she said.

"I'm here for you."

After every able-bodied guest that was not part of the Emperor's scheme was ordered to leave, every corner of the Arena and the Casino was set on fire.

Watching the flames getting higher and brighter, a mixture of sadness and joy enveloped him. There were a lot of memories, good and bad, connecting him to here. But he needed to move on. He didn't want to continue this lifestyle anymore. The only thing he wanted was his revenge. Just to think about the twins and their family gave Kylo Ren a very good reason to leave everything behind and start over anew.

 _Let the past die. Kill it if I have to. That is the only way to become what I was meant to be._ He thought while the extreme heat started to scorch his narrow, pale face.

Turning around, and followed by his Knights of Ren, Kylo Ren left the inferno that was once the infamous underground city.

A few days later, upon the Supremacy, inside Snoke's red chamber, Kylo Ren, Rey, Maul and some Knights of Ren were discussing some future plans.

"And what is it that you have to deliver?" Kylo Ren asked, searching Rey's eyes.

"We were instructed by Maul's mother to deliver these books." Rey replied, opening her satchel.

Inside were some old, worn books. _So that's what she was hiding in there?_ Kylo Ren curiously thought. Rey knew they had no choice but to tell him. _Otherwise, how will we be able to trust each other?_ Rey thought, shifting from one foot to the other. She felt nervous about telling him about the Jedi books, but she hoped he would understand their importance.

"Only on one condition." Kylo Ren said, pulling up one of his eyebrows.

Rey hoped, this time his "condition" would not involve any kissing.

"And what is that?" Maul asked feeling impatient.

"I want to come with you." Kylo Ren replied, looking from Rey to Maul and then back to Rey again.

"I thought you would have to be here and prepare for the upcoming attack on Zakuul." Rey asked perplexed.

"I have already started on the arrangements." Kylo Ren casually replied. Then he added. "If you remember, we have a high valued hostage within the ship."

Rey didn't have to be reminded of Vaylin. The daughter of Valkorion was a very dangerous one. Confined to her cell, she was forced to wear one of the collars that they used in the Arena. Rey only visited her once and after a few minutes of uncomfortable conversation, she left the cell and vowed to never come back. The pure hatred within Vaylin amazed and scared Rey. But remembering her vision, Rey understood why she was the way she was. _His children,_ Rey thought with distaste. _They all inherited his demeanor._

After agreeing with him, Maul and Rey left the chamber and went to look for Savage and Darach.

They found them in the dining area. After a few minutes of conversation, Maul turned to Darach and said.

"Return to Iridonia and bring our brothers and sisters to Dathomir."

"With pleasure." Darach replied with a smile. "After all these years, I'm happy to be able to return there."

Looking at Rey, he said.

"Thank you for everything."

Stepping closer, Rey swiftly hugged him and whispered into his ear.

"Anytime."

Letting him go, Darach shook hands with Maul and Savage and saying goodbye he left the room. As he walked out, Kenobi walked in and quickly approached their table. With his boyish smile, he looked at them and cheerfully asked.

"May I join you?"

"Of course you may." Rey replied with a wide smile. Despite Maul's protest the other night about him permanently joining them, she liked him and wanted him to stay with them for this mission.

While they ate, Asajj walked in with Shae. Approaching their table, Asajj walked up to Savage and grabbing his face, she leaned forward and gently kissed him on his lips.

Then placing her hand on his shoulder, she looked at everyone and said.

"We want to accompany you as well."

Looking at her, Maul was curious how she and Shae ended up being one of the Knights of Ren. If what Savage had told him was true that they were also fighting in the pit, Maul wanted to know how they managed to earn their place within Kylo Ren's knights.

"How did you do that?" Maul asked, gazing into her eyes. "How did you become one of them?" Maul said, nodding his head toward the other table, where some of the Knights of Ren were also enjoying their evening meal.

"I earned my place." Asajj replied.

"You must be really good then." Maul said with a grin.

"Oh, darling." Asajj mused. "You wish you knew how good I am."

Looking at Savage, Maul noticed a wide grin on his face. Then his eyes landed on Shae, who sent a flirty wink at him and then she took a seat beside the gawking Kenobi and started to chat.

That night in bed after their passionate lovemaking, Rey was resting her head on his chest. As she slowly twirled her finger on one of the tattoos on his abs, she said.

"He was my grandfather."

"Who?" Maul asked.

"Snoke." Rey replied.

"What?" He asked with amazement.

Turning her head toward his, she looked at him and said.

"He told me how he used others, including my grandmother to accomplish his strange experiments to breed a new kind of Force users."

"Why would he do that?" Maul inquired.

"I think I know why." Rey replied. "To defeat Valkorion." Then she told him about her vision.

"But I thought he and his family were honored guests." Maul said after she had finished her story.

"I don't think Snoke knew who he really was, or at least not until his death." Rey replied. Then she added. "I think he was trying to tell me who Valkorion truly was."

"So you're saying that he is a body changer Sith?" Maul asked with slight amazement.

"Yes." Rey said. "And I believe, the only reason he wanted me because he knew who I was. I think he wanted me to marry his sons and produce an heir that was for his liking."

"That will never happen." Maul said with determination. "We belong to each other."

Rey wanted to hear him saying he loved her, but she knew, he was not the type who would say something like that. He was not like Kylo Ren, who without question opened his heart and freely showed his feelings toward her. Maul was different and Rey accepted this, either she liked it or not.

Gently caressing her face, he said in a hushed tone.

"I will never want to leave your sight, ever."

"And I will never want to leave yours." Rey replied smiling.

A week later, the Supremacy arrived on the planet where the books needed to be delivered. Leaving Asajj and Shae behind to watch over the prisoner, they took Maul's ship and headed down toward the surface.

After ten minutes of a very shaky ride, Maul landed the ship on a rocky flat, bleak terrain.

"You're not bad, but I could have landed this ship much smoother." Kylo Ren said with a mischievous grin.

Looking over to him, with a flat tone, Maul replied.

"This is my ship. Your opinion doesn't matter to me."

With sarcasm, Kylo Ren inquired. "And where did you get a nice ship like this from?"

"From my father." Rey cut in feeling annoyed by their bickering. "Now can we get off this ship please?" Rey asked looking at them both.

"As you wish...princess." Kylo Ren said amused by her behavior.

"Please don't call me that." Rey said shaking her head. Then she turned to Savage and Kenobi and also urged them to get up.

There was this peculiar feeling she had sensed since they landed. The extreme urge to get off the ship and go into the cave that was waiting for them not far from where they landed was overwhelming. She wanted to get there as soon as possible.

As they approached the cave, Rey's heart started to pound with great force. There was something or someone here Rey sensed that caused this extreme reaction from her.

 _What's wrong?_ Maul's worried voice was heard in her head.

 _I don't' know._ Rey replied in the same manner. _There is something here that makes me feel this way._

 _Are we in danger?_ Maul asked looking around.

 _No. I don't think so._ She replied as they reached the cave's mouth.

"I have never seen a large opening like this before." Kenobi's astonished voice cut through the eerie quietness of the land.

Suppressing a grin, Savage was about to say something to him, when Maul signaled for everyone to stop.

Someone was approaching them. From the bowel of the dark cave, four slender figures walked out. Wearing long dark hooded capes, they stepped into the light. Then one-by-one they all removed their hoods, exposing themselves to the amazed newcomers.

Looking at them with wide eyes, Savage exclaimed. "Nightsisters?"

"Welcome." One of them spoke up. "We were expecting you."

"Expecting us?" Kylo Ren asked feeling confused.

"Follow us please." Another one spoke up this time, beckoning them to follow.

They all looked at each other with confusion and amazement. Then Rey started to follow them and everyone else did the same.

After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a larger opening that led them to an area that looked eerily similar to the Nightsisters cave back on Dathomir. Quickly measuring up the cave, Rey noticed the similarity. The only difference that caught her eye was the color of the water. Instead of being green, here the water that gently flowed between the little islands was a calming deep blue.

There were more Nightsisters on one of the larger islands, and that was where they were headed. Around the table stood many Nightsisters. They all looked at them, except one. Her back was to them, but when she turned around, her bright hazel eyes found Rey and with a nervous smile, she said.

"Praise the Force. She is home."

Then rushing to Rey, she quickly embraced her.

Rey was in utter shock. Her body felt like a stone statue as she let the woman hug her. Then she heard her soft, calming voice. The voice she remembered from a long time ago.

"Aldereya. My sweet, sweet girl."

Slowly, Rey relaxed in her arms and fiercely returned the embrace. Then tears of happiness blurred her vision and between sobs, she said while her voice choked up.

"Mom...Mom?"

"Yes, my baby girl." The woman replied with a fragile voice. "It's me."

Letting her go, the woman looked into her eyes and with a smile that easily matched Rey's, she said in a hushed tone.

"I knew you were coming. I've seen it in the Eternal Flames."

Rey just stared into her face that looked similar to hers and couldn't believe her eyes. This woman in front of her was her mother. The mother she has been craving for over a decade now. The mother who left her on Jakku and never came back. Here she was healthy and alive and suddenly a wave of extreme anger engulfed Rey. Pushing her away, she accusingly said.

"How dare you call yourself my mother. You are not my mother!" Stepping away from her, with an icy tone she added. "My mother is dead."

"Aldereya, please." Her mother pleaded. "Let me explain to you, why I did what I did."

"I don't need to hear it!" Rey shouted.

Instantly, Maul stepped in between the two women. Looking into the Nightsister's worried face, Maul was certain this woman was Rey's mother. She had the same look that Maul had seen on Rey's face. The look of despair and emotional struggle was written on her pretty aging face, as she gazed into Maul's eyes.

Then she spoke up again.

"Countless times in my life I regretted that dreadful day when I was forced to leave you behind. It was the hardest thing I had ever had to endure. Please, Aldereya, listen to me." Her pleading tone didn't ease Rey's anguish. She felt like she was stabbed in the heart over and over again as she listened to her mother. She wanted to turn and run and never look back. _Why, oh why?_ Rey's confused mind was screaming with great frustration. She was about to take out the books and threw them on the table when she said something that stopped her in her tracks.

"My father Snoke and your father Sidious wanted to get their hands on you. They wanted to use you for their own selfish way."

"You knew about Snoke?" Rey asked with astonishment.

"Not until I had you and we moved here to the Unknown Regions." She explained. "You were still a tiny baby and I was a scared, first-time mother. I needed your father to help me and guide me, which he did for a while. But his duties as a Senator were always before us and he left us here to fend for ourselves. It was so hard and I almost gave up, then your grandfather Snoke found us."

Her pleading eyes gazed into Rey's as she continued. "First I didn't know who he was. He came to my house one day with a young boy."

Saying that her eyes landed on the amazed Kylo Ren. Then turning her attention back to Rey she said.

"I was extremely grateful for his act of selfless devotion to help us out. But as time passed, I realized something. His motives were beyond what I could have imagined. I realized what he was after and I was just too scared to lose you." Taking a deep breath, she continued.

"Then your father came back and after he realized Snoke's motives, he also wanted to take you away from me. He said, he met someone very important and extremely powerful and despite the fact that you were only a small child, he promised you to his twin sons. I refused him and we had a great fight that almost killed me."

Saying that she opened up her cloak, to show everyone her scars. There was a deep scar that was clearly visible on her right shoulder. The scar that started on her shoulder continued down on her exposed stomach. Then Rey noticed another scar that ran deeply into her left thigh, deforming her pale, gray flesh. The wound looked old, and Rey couldn't imagine how painful it had been to receive something like that.

Instantly, Rey felt stupid and embarrassed about her sudden and thoughtless behavior. Her mother had to endure so much just to keep her safe, and here she was pushing her away like she was a monster. _No!_ She thought with anger. _The true monsters are still out there!_ As her eyes found her mother's, Rey opened her arms and fiercely hugged her mother again while she apologized.

"I wanted to come back and get you, but I couldn't do it. I had a duty that I was chosen to perform and I was not able to leave."

"What kind of duty?" Maul asked, looking at them.

"I'm a Keeper of the Eternal Flames." She replied.

"Did my mother know about you being here?" Maul inquired. He wanted to know if his mother was hiding more from them.

"Your mother?" The woman asked.

"Mother Talzin was our mother." This time Savage spoke up.

From Savage, she looked back at Maul and said.

"Your mother was a good friend. Even though I missed her so much, she never knew about me being here. I kept my identity a secret." Then she asked. "How is she?"

With a saddened face, Savage replied. "She is dead with everyone else."

A shock of horror crossed her face, and then she asked.

"Who killed them?"

"Sidious." Maul growled.

With a determined face, she said.

"His reign will end soon."

With teary eyes, she turned to Rey and asked.

"Do you have them?"

"Yes." Rey replied wiping her face. Taking the books out, she handed them to her and asked.

"What are you going to do with them?"

"Come. Let me show you." Her mother said, gesturing them to follow.

Walking deeper into the cave, they found themselves in a narrow passageway that seemed like it led into endless darkness.

Suddenly a bright bluish light appeared over Rey's mother hand. The levitating little orb instantly brightened up the darkness, leaving everyone in shock for a second.

"How did you do that?" Kenobi asked astonished.

"I can teach you if you want to learn it." She said with a smile.

Feeling special, with a wide grin Kenobi replied. "Yes please, I would love to learn that."

Scoffing, Maul looked at him and then shaking his horned head, he kept following Rey and her mother.

Rey didn't like to be here. It felt like the walls of the cave were closing in on her, burying her alive. Trying to block out the surrounding darkness, she kept gazing at the blue orb that looked calming and inviting within the confinement of the tunnel. Then to her great amazement, looking ahead, Rey saw an old wooden door with a special carving on its weathered surface. This was the same door she had seen in her vision.

Stopping in front of the door, her mother chanted a few foreign words. When she was done, the carvings on the door lit up the same way that Rey had seen back in Snoke's chamber. Then the door opened.

First Rey didn't see anything; it was pitch black inside the room. Then her mother walked in and placed the little glowing orb into a large metal bowl, which suddenly lit up the whole room, leaving everyone amazed.

In the middle of the room was a wide stone circle. Within the circle were eight tall thrones. Each chair, except for one was occupied with a tall stone figure that had an uncanny resemblance to Snoke. Their taut faces and lifeless eyes blankly stared at each other, while their large hands peacefully rested on their laps. Each one wore a similar outfit and each one had a ring on his left hand. Instinctively, Rey touched her satchel to make sure the ring was still inside.

Then her mother waited until everyone was inside and then she closed the door. Nervously looking around, Kylo Ren couldn't comprehend what kind of place this was. The statues looked just like his late Master. The confusion that took over him was unnerving.

"What is this place?" He asked looking around.

"This is the room of the Eternal Flames." Rey's mother explained. "This is my duty and life to keep them safe."

"The statues?" Savage asked, bewildered. "Why do you need to keep them safe?"

"For many years now, I have been chosen to take care of them and be their keeper." Rey's mother replied. "But today is a special day."

From the statues, Rey's eyes landed on the mosaic-covered floor. The two-toned tiles were in the exact same shape that Snoke had in his bedchamber. On the light half, inside the black spot, there were some old books already placed. Then Rey watched as her mother placed the Jedi books in the other half of the circle, inside the white spot.

"What are those?" Rey asked pointing toward the books.

"Those are ancient Sith codex." She said.

"Who brought them here?" Rey asked perplexed.

"Me, my love." She replied. "I brought them here."

"What are you doing with them?" Kylo Ren asked.

"You'll see." Rey's mother replied. Then standing aside, she opened up her arms and in that strange ancient language, she started to chant again. This time for some reason Rey understood every single word she said. With amazement, Rey looked at the circle and saw both sides started to glow, while the books elevated. They then started to spin and as they kept spinning around, they got faster and faster until the pages started to shred into a million pieces, becoming one with the glowing light. At the same time, each statue's ring also lit up, brightening up the room even further.

Looking down on her satchel, she saw the same light brightly emitting through the leather. Opening it, she took out the glowing ring and placed two of her fingers inside. Then as if she was in trance, she stepped closer to the empty throne and sat down.

While her mother's loud voice filled up the room, everyone looked at Rey and the statues. Maul was about to make his move and remove Rey from her seat when he heard her distorted voice.

 _Stay. Don't come closer._

In unison, the rings glowed and pulsated, as the light from the mosaic tile grew brighter. Then, each ring shot out a bright blue light that met at the midpoint, just above the symbol. The sound of the electrical charge in the room grew louder as the Nightsister's voice elevated to a sharp ear-splitting shrill, then each statue started to turn into a real thing.

With great astonishment, Maul watched as their stone bodies slowly turned into flesh. Then his eyes landed on Rey. With eyes closed, her calm face looked to be in deep meditation. When all of the stone statues turned into flesh and fabric, Rey's mother stopped singing, leaving the room with an uncanny quietness.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. The only thing Maul heard was their own shallow ragged breathing, as they all stood there amazed. Then all at once, the eyes of the tall beings, and Rey's eyes slowly opened. As her eyes found Maul's a deep, unpleasant shudder rushed through his body. He hadn't felt something like this in a long time and it scared him.

Then he heard Rey's mother's voice again.

"Wise ancient Whills of Eternity. We're here to greet you and we're greatly honored by your presence. Welcome!"

To be continued...

 **Hello everyone! I'm glad you're still enjoying my story! Reviews are always welcome! Thank you for your kind support!**

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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15.**

"Aldereya." Her mother's voice echoed through her head. "Can you hear me?"

When Rey opened her eyes, first she couldn't see anything. The darkness that surrounded her was deep and pleasantly calming. Then slowly her vision became clearer and her eyes found Maul's and then her mother's.

With a look of worry on her face, her mother glanced at Rey and then she asked again.

"How did you know to bring the ring with you?"

"He showed it to me in a vision." Rey replied.

"Oh yes, the vision." One of the Whill's spoke up. His deep, raspy voice carried over the large room. Quickly, Rey's eyes found his and for a second she thought she was looking into Snoke's deep-set eyes. He looked fairly similar to Snoke, but not exact the same. His features were rounder and without scars. Also his eyes were a warm deep brown, instead of ice blue. But the way he moved and talked was just like the Supreme Leader.

Bowing in front of Rey, he introduced himself.

"My name is Kortul. I am the eldest of us all." Saying that, he slowly motioned around with his long arms toward the other Whills. Then he continued. "We deeply appreciate your help. Without you, we would have stayed as statues for who knows how long."

"What did I do?" Rey asked astonished.

"You are his flesh and blood. That is why you were able to withstand the awakening." Kortul replied.

Rey quickly sized them up and then she asked.

"Who put you in here? And why were you all turned into stone?"

"Let me show you." Kortul replied. Suddenly the whole room turned into pitch-black darkness. Then a dim light appeared in front of him. As the light grew brighter, Maul's and everyone else's eyes grew wider. From the bright light a clear picture of an unknown universe emerged. An astonishing image of another planet came into view. It shimmered in the air above their heads, and then suddenly it expanded, engulfing the whole room with its breathtaking holographic landscapes.

With astonishment, everyone looked around and found themselves surrounded by this alien world that was somewhere in a different dimension.

Lifting his hands in front of him, with awe, Kenobi lightly touched a small glowing orb that floated in the air. It looked similar to the one Rey's mother had in her hands earlier. Running his fingers through it, he felt a cold shiver passing through him. _Just like melted icicles,_ he thought amazed.

Looking over to Maul, his fiery yellow eyes curiously sized up the holographic images. Then turning to the amazed Savage, he asked.

"Is this some kind of magic?"

"Magic?" Kortul turned toward Maul. "There is no magic. Only reality and the Force."

"What is this place?" This time Kylo Ren spoke up.

"This place is our home." Kortul replied. "It's in a different dimension. I'm not sure if you would be able to understand what I'm about to tell you, but I would like to explain who we are and what happened to us."

Staying quiet, Kylo Ren and the others waited for him to continue.

"The Force is a crucial element, not just to you but also to my kind as well. It flows in me; it flows in all of us, around us, as a living entity. We do not know its origin, but one thing we did find out over thousand of years, was that this organic element needs to be balanced. Otherwise, it could morph itself into an unpleasant state that would change everyone and everything around it. We the Whills found the perfect balance to keep it in check. However, we were not able to contain it on our planet. As nature takes its course, that is what the Force did as well. Somehow, it found a portal between our world and yours. Through this wormhole, part of the Force escaped, and ended up here."

Looking around, for a few seconds he watched everyone's amazed expressions. Then he resumed.

"We were curious and wanted to see what it could do on your world. Therefore, seven others and I were entrusted with this important mission. Throughout the years, we watched and learned about your kind. We have found you extremely interesting. The way you were bending the Force to your wills was something extraordinary to witness. We have never thought that your kind were capable of such a skill. Oh how wrong we were. As the Force grew, your capability to harness it grew as well, but on what account?" Kortul asked, looking from Kylo Ren to Maul.

"Your greed and extremism outgrew your boundaries. The precious gift that was freely handed to you was abused over and over again. In my opinion, you should have never acquired such a gift. However, there is still hope for you all."

"Hope?" Rey asked astonished.

Turning to her, he continued.

"Yes. We know that there are a few, such as yourself that can bring back the balance to the Force. With your help, this entity can be restored back to its original form. When we realized the damage it was causing to your kind, we tried to stop it. However, in the process we were betrayed by one of our own."

Rey didn't have to ask who betrayed them. She already seen it in the vision, making a pact with the Sith that cruelly backfired on Snoke.

"Why did he do that?" Rey asked.

"His corruption came from observing the dark side of the Force. He thought he was able to control this all alone. However he found out he needed help, and instead of turning to us, he turned against us and found another and very dangerous entity that eventually crippled him and took most of his powers."

"Vitiate." Rey whispered.

"Yes." Kortul replied with a saddened face. Then he added. "While he tortured Snoke, he found out that there were more of us here. He tried to hunt us down and take our powers as well."

"You did this to yourselves?" Rey asked amazed.

Nodding his head, Kortul replied.

"Indeed we did, but not by choice. While we tried to open the portal again to return home, something went horribly wrong and we ended up casting ourselves into stone."

Looking at them, Rey felt sorry for these beings. They were helplessly trapped in here for decades, and the thought of being stuck here for that length of time, not knowing what is happening horrified her to the core. She was glad that she was able to help them.

"Why did he leave Snoke alive?" Rey asked, wanting to know more about this.

"I'm not sure." Kortul replied. "But I know by taking most of his powers away, Snoke was no threat to him anymore."

"What is going to happen now that you are awake?" Kylo Ren asked, stepping closer to Kortul and the others.

"By opening the portal, we are now able to return home." Another replied.

"You are leaving?" Rey asked astonished.

"Of course." Kortul replied. "The longer we stay, the better chance for Vitiate to find us."

"But we need your help to defeat him and my father!" Rey shouted, feeling irritated by the thought of them running away.

Placing his long fingers on her arm, in a calm voice Kortul said.

"You don't need us. You are perfectly capable of defeating them if necessary."

Then he added as he leaned closer to Rey. "I can see the fire burning high within you. Never let this great flame extinguish."

Then he said something that left everyone in awe.

"I would love you and your mother to come with us. However, it would not be safe for you to make this journey. Not in your condition."

"My condition?" Rey asked perplexed. She had no idea what he meant by saying that. But as she looked into her mother's eyes, Rey noticed great happiness on her face. Then her eyes landed on the surprised Maul. On his face Rey saw not just shock but also a hint of glee as well. But as she looked past him, her eyes met Kylo Ren's. On his face, she only saw sadness and disappointment. Quickly avoiding his gaze, Rey looked at her mother again and then she asked, stuttered.

"What does he mean by that?"

With a smile, her mother replied.

"You are with child, my love."

Then, Kortul spoke up.

"Children."

"Two?" Maul's astonished voice was heard behind Kortul.

Turning around, Kortul looked at the amazed Maul and said.

"Twins."

The complete shock that overtook Maul was astounding. It was not easy to take in what he had just heard. From Kortul, he looked at the also astonished Rey and then to his brother, who stood there with a wide grin on his face.

"You're going to make a great father." Savage grinned and then pointing to his wide chest he said. "And I'm going to be a great uncle."

"Come closer." Kortul motioned for Maul to step closer.

Walking up to the Whills, he stood beside Rey.

"I want to bless these special children." Kortul said. Placing his hand on Rey's flat abdomen, he spoke a few foreign words that Maul did not understand.

Removing his hands, he turned to Rey's mother and said.

"It's your choice. Do you want to stay? Or do you want to come with us?"

"I deeply appreciate your kind offer, but I have to decline it." She replied. Then she added. "My place is here with my daughter. She'll need all the help she can get."

With a smile, Kortul looked at her and said.

"Thank you for your help. You are a great person. We will greatly miss you."

After saying their goodbyes, a large, bright doorway opened in the middle of the alien landscape. One-by-one, each Whills stepped through the glowing doorway. Kortul was the last one to walk through. But before he disappeared from everyone's view, he turned around and took one more last look at them. Then he was gone.

As soon as the doorway to their world disappeared, the room went into pitch-black darkness again. Suddenly Maul ignited his lightsaber, enveloping the room into a deep shade of red. Then he said, feeling slightly irritated.

"Forget your glowing orb, I'll light the way out of here."

Leaving the room behind, Rey's mind was in confusion. She was pregnant and that thought gave her a mixture of pleasant and scary feelings. The way Maul acted was not what she had expected of him. He didn't say anything to her while they silently walked through the narrow corridor. She didn't know what to think. It seemed like he was purposely avoiding her and that deeply hurt her.

When they arrived back at the Nightsisters lair, Rey's mother proudly hugged Rey and Maul and congratulated them. Then Savage and Kenobi congratulated them as well. However, when it came to Kylo Ren, he was not as enthusiastic about this revelation as the others were. Reluctantly he hugged Rey and shook hands with Maul. But deep inside he was fuming with jealousy and rage. Then he said.

"We have to get back to the Supremacy. I have some important matters to attend to."

"I'll take you back." Maul replied.

"Are we staying?" Rey asked, confused.

"Yes." Maul replied. He still had a hard time trusting Kylo Ren and he wanted to stay instead of being on the Supremacy. He hated that ship. It brought nothing but bad memories for him.

"I'll go with you." Savage said, sensing Maul's uneasiness.

After they dropped Kylo Ren off on his ship, Savage went to look for Asajj. When he told her about the Nightsisters and what happened down there, she wanted to come down with him to meet the sisters.

Leaving the Supremacy behind, Maul, Savage and Asajj headed down toward the planet. But before they left, Asajj asked Shae to keep an eye out for Kylo Ren. If anything suspicious happens while they were gone, she was entrusted to let them know. Agreeing with them, Shae stayed behind.

On the way to the planet, Savage approached Maul and said.

"I know you brother, and I have never seen you like this."

"What are you talking about?" Maul asked feeling agitated.

Placing his large hand on Maul's shoulder, Savage said.

"You are nervous."

"You're wrong." Maul replied with defiance. However, deep inside he was indeed nervous and he hated this new and unpleasant feeling. The very thought of him soon becoming a father, to not just one but to two children, terrified him to the bone. He had never thought that one day he'd be a father. However, after hearing his mother's prophecy, this was something he knew would happen. But to experience it first hand was something totally different. The moment Kortul told them Rey was expecting, a feeling of extreme nervousness rushed through him.

Squeezing Maul's shoulder, Savage said.

"Don't worry. I will be glad to help."

"You will?" Maul asked, his desperate voice betraying him.

Winking at him, Savage gave one extra shoulder squeeze to him and then he went to look for Asajj.

Later that day, Maul found Rey walking on the shore of a large, crystal clear lake.

Admiring the beauty of the water, Rey didn't notice when Maul approached her and placed his arms around her midsection. Leaning his head on her shoulders, she let out a small, surprised scream as she swiftly pulled her head away from his.

"Ouch, Maul." She said, touching the side of her face. "You did it again."

"Sorry," Maul replied with a meek smile. "Did I scratch you again?"

Turning around, she embraced him and in a low frightened voice, she said.

"I'm scared."

"Me too." Maul replied, feeling completely out of his comfort zone. He was not good at sentiment or compassion. But this time it was about his unborn children and the woman he loved, even though he never admitted freely to her, he did love her.

"Are we going to stay here?" Rey asked gazing into his worried eyes.

"For a while, yes." Maul replied. Then he added. "I want to return to Dathomir. I want our children to be born on the planet that we were born."

"But there is only devastation there." Rey said, feeling sad just to think about it.

"We will start over." Maul reassured. Then he added. "I will send my brother after Darach to bring back my people to Dathomir. My mother would have been happy to raise our children there."

Feeling a little better about his behavior, with a mischievous smile, she looked at him and teasingly she said.

"Do you want to go for a swim?"

"Now?" Maul asked surprised.

Quickly removing her clothes, she waded into the water, but abruptly stopped when the mushy bottom beneath her feet was no longer present. She was just not good at swimming, and was afraid to go deeper, even though she wanted to. Removing his tunic, Maul followed her into the cool water. Grabbing hold of her waist, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips to hers. While their entangled bodies gently floated in the water, up in space Kylo Ren was pacing in his room.

He had a hard time staying calm after finding out about Rey's pregnancy. Even though he wanted nothing more but to have Rey for himself, after finding this unexpected news out, he felt betrayed and annoyed. This, he didn't see coming. He felt like he was punched in the gut. Then he heard a knock on the door.

"Supreme Leader." The voice said on the other side of the door. "The prisoner wants a few words with you."

Feeling already annoyed, he yelled back.

"Tell her, I will come to see her on my terms!"

"As you wish, my lord." The voice replied. Then the man was off, walking toward the prison cells.

After a few hours, Kylo Ren decided to go and visit Vaylin.

Standing on the other side of the glass barrier, he watched her as she peacefully slept on her bed. Looking at her face, he wondered what she would do if she wasn't restrained. The only thing that kept her away from everyone was her cell and the collar she was forced to wear. Kylo Ren was no fool and he knew how dangerous she was. He still wasn't sure what he really wanted to do with her, but one thing he was certain of, she couldn't stay a prisoner on this ship forever. However, her being a very valuable hostage, Kylo Ren knew he could use her to his advantages.

He was about to leave, when she spoke up.

"I knew you would come."

Opening her eyes, she looked at Kylo Ren and then slowly she sat up.

"What do you want Vaylin?"

"I want to confess." She replied with a sly grin.

"Confess?" He asked puzzled.

Standing up, she approached him. Placing her hands on the glass, she looked into his eyes and with a flirty smile she said.

"I have known you for years now. And I can tell when you are upset."

"I didn't come her to talk about me. What is it you want to confess?" Kylo Ren said irritably.

"Even though my brothers made fun of you, I always liked you Ben." She said in a silky smooth tone. Then she added. "I thought that you knew that."

Feeling a little uncomfortable under her gaze, he looked at the ground and then he said.

"Yes, I suspected."

"Why don't you come in and I can show you how much I like you." She said, beckoning him to come inside.

"That will never happen Vaylin." He replied gazing into her surprised eyes. "I am no fool."

"Fool?" She said laughing. "What would you call yourself when you are helplessly and foolishly in love with a woman who will never return your pitiful affections, huh? What would you call that?"

"Stop talking!" Kylo Ren shouted.

"Oh." She said amused. "Now I made you mad, right?"

"You are wasting my time." Kylo Ren replied, annoyed.

Suddenly, her demeanor changed and the way she looked at him gave him shivers down his spine. With a malicious tone, she purred.

"My family will turn this galaxy upside down just to find me. And when they find me, I will let my brothers gut you for fun."

Not wanting to stay around her any second longer, Kylo Ren deftly spun around and rushed out of the prison hold.

Feeling extremely angry and frustrated, he went to look for Shae. He found her in the armory. She was checking out her favorite flamethrower weapon when her arms were grabbed and she was violently spun around to face Kylo Ren. Not caring who was watching, he pressed his lips to hers and roughly kissed her.

Shae tried to push him away, but to no avail. Holding her firmly, his hands hungrily roamed all over her body, feeling every perfect little curve. The desire to have her became unbearable. Breaking the kiss, he said to her.

"Come."

Holding her by the wrist, he pulled the astonished Shae with him toward his room.

Once inside his room, he shut the door and started to remove his clothes, while he ordered her to do the same.

In a way she missed his touches, and without protesting, Shae removed her clothing and allowed him to kiss her again. Cradling his wide shoulders, she enjoyed this close contact with him again. Then he swiftly picked her up and placed her on top of the sheets. Pulling him on top, she arched her pelvis up, letting him fill her with his length. Slowly and rhythmically he started to move with her. Quickening his pace, he wanted to enjoy this great feeling she was giving him. Hearing her pleasurable moans, he quickly removed himself and turned her around. Taking her from behind, he grabbed hold of her hips and closing his eyes again, he imagined it was Rey's perfect body squirming beneath his. As soon as Shae reached her peak, he swiftly pulled himself out, finishing on her shapely backside.

Slumping down beside the breathless Shae, Kylo Ren ran his fingers through his dark locks and then letting out a satisfied sigh, he looked at her and with a mischievous grin, he said.

"I hope you're not mad at me."

"How could I be?" Shae replied with a flirty smile. Getting up, she went into the bathroom to clean up. Then, lying down beside him, she cuddled him until he fell asleep. While listening to his shallow breaths, she heard him mumbling in his sleep.

"Rey...oh….Rey."

With a frown she got up and after putting her clothes on, she left his room.

In his dream, Kylo Ren was hugging Rey and he was about to kiss her, when suddenly her face morphed into Vaylin's. Trying to push her away, he realized he was not able to do that. With extreme force, she held him tight, almost to the brink of suffocation. Feeling paralyzed by her gaze, he tried to speak up and tell her to go to hell, when her mouth opened and a long, black tongue slithered out and touched his face. A sudden nausea came over him as the wet, black tongue forcefully protruded into his mouth and went down deep inside his throat. Gagging, he tried to push her away to end this horrible nightmare, but her firm grip was unbreakable and with petrified eyes, he looked into hers and then he heard her smooth voice in his head.

 _Dream on, big boy. Dream on._

When Kylo Ren woke up, the first thing he did was to lean over his bed and gag over the floor. The feeling of nausea was so strong, he wanted to throw up, but nothing came out of him. Breathing heavily, he looked over his shoulder to realize Shae was gone. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he leaned back and rubbing his face, he tried to forget about his peculiar nightmare.

The next day, he decided to take Vaylin down to the planet. For some reason, he felt her very presence on the ship was immensely disturbing. The dream that she most likely have caused was still lingering in his mind. Every time he thought about it, he kept reaching for his throat.

Taking his personal shuttle and accompanied by some of the Knights of Ren, he smoothly landed the ship not far from the cave. In the back, Vaylin was caged into a secured container, silently watching them all.

After ordering his men to stay behind, he asked Shae to accompany him. While walking toward the cave, he asked.

"What happened the other night? Where did you go?"

"I just wanted to get back to my room." She lied, not wanting to tell him about him whispering Rey's name.

Looking at her, he said.

"You could have stayed. I didn't mind."

Sending him a reassuring smile, she said.

"Good to know."

Then, they kept walking until they reached the cave.

After the Nightsisters greeted them, Kylo Ren pulled Rey's mother aside and said.

"I have a dangerous person with me on my shuttle. She is restrained and ready to be disposed of."

"Disposed?" Lylea asked.

"I don't mean to hurt her." He started. "What I would like to do is to keep her here locked up until I return. Can you keep her here?"

"How dangerous is she?" Rey's mother asked again.

"She is dangerous just like her father." Rey's voice was heard behind Kylo Ren.

With accusing eyes, Lylea looked at Kylo Ren and said.

"You brought Vitiate's daughter here?"

First, Kylo Ren didn't understand the remark. Then Rey quickly explained to him who Vitiate was. After hearing about the Sith lord, he now understood how she was able to get inside his head. He was glad when Lylea agreed to keep Vaylin here with the Nightsisters. Placing her in the same room where the Whills spent decades sitting on their thrones, Lylea locked the door and instructed everyone to keep their distance.

"She'll get food and water on a daily basis." Rey's mother assured Kylo Ren. Then she added. "Her powers should be dulled by that room. It's deep within the mountain and is sacred. She will never get out, unless one of us lets her out. But that will never happen."

"I'm glad I could place my trust in you." Kylo Ren replied with a small smile. "Thank you."

Already feeling better about her being locked away, Kylo Ren hugged Lylea and then looking at Rey he asked.

"So when are the babies going to be here?"

Instinctively placing her hand on her stomach, Rey replied. "In seven months, give or take."

"I'm happy for you." Kylo Ren lied, embracing Rey.

"What are you doing here?" Maul said as he and Savage entered the cave with their kills.

Letting Rey go, Kylo Ren turned around and said to Maul.

"I'll let Rey explain it to you both. I have to get back to my ship." Then he asked. "How long are you going to stay?"

"Not long." Maul replied. The suspicious feeling he felt when Kylo Ren was around was getting to him now. He hoped Rey didn't say anything about them returning to Dathomir. Maul wanted to keep this information a secret. He didn't want anyone to know where they headed next.

"Alright then." Kylo Ren said with a grin. Looking at Shae he said. "Let's go."

To his surprise, Shae said.

"I'm going to stay here with them."

Not wanting to make a scene, he just nodded his head and stormed out of the cave. On his way to his shuttle, his mind was in great turmoil. He felt betrayed again, and the person he wanted to blame for all this was none other than Maul. _Oh, how he wanted to tear him apart!_

Reaching his ship, he ordered his men to get ready to return to the Supremacy. He wanted to forget about Rey and about everyone else. He had more important matters to attend to, than to dwell on the Zabrak and his mate. He needed to get ready to attack Zakuul and finish the twins and their Empire for good. He hoped that keeping Vaylin locked away as bait, he could lure them into a trap and kill them all. Then he would return here and finish Vaylin as well.

A few days later, Maul decided it was time for them to return to his home planet. While Savage, Asajj and Shae was getting ready to leave for Iridonia, Rey's mother was also getting ready to leave the planet. She wanted to stay close to her daughter. She knew how important was to have someone around after the babies are born. The years that she was forced to spend apart from Rey could never be unmade. Therefore she wanted to spend as much time as she could with her.

Saying goodbye to her sisters, with teary eyes, Lylea stepped into the Sith Infiltrator, while Rey, Maul and Kenobi said farewell to Savage and the girls.

Using Lylea's old ship, Savage and the other two were ready to leave.

"I'll see you soon brother." Savage said, and then hugging Rey as well, he lightly squeezed her. Then Rey heard his voice in her head.

 _May the Force be with you. We'll see each other soon, sister._

 _Yes we will._ Rey replied in the same manner.

Then Savage walked up to Kenobi and after smacking him on the back, with a mischievous grin he said.

"Keep them safe."

"I will." Kenobi eagerly replied.

When everyone was inside the ship, Maul turned on the machine and after setting the coordinates, they left the planet behind, with Savage's ship in tow.

Up on the Supremacy, Kylo Ren silently watched as the two small ships left the planet. He truly wanted to find out where they were heading, but he had a feeling that their paths will cross again. Turning away from the window, he made a call. Through the holographic image a man with silver armor showed up. After exchanging a few words, the man's image disappeared, while a sly smile appeared on Kylo Ren's face. Everything was going the way he planned it.

That night before they departed, he had another dream. This time, he was back in the Arena, fighting with the twins. As he defeated them one by one an extreme satisfaction rushed through him. Grinning, he looked at their destroyed bodies lying on the ground in front of his boots. Then suddenly the light went out, leaving him in complete darkness. Swiftly igniting his weapon and looking around, he was expecting someone or something to pounce on him. But there was nothing, except a dull, swooshing sound that became louder as it got closer.

Firmly holding his lightsaber, he felt his heart rate accelerate, while his breathing became shallow and uneven. Then suddenly several of the Nightsisters rushed at him from the darkness. One of them held a long spear that made a whooshing sound as she spun it around above her head.

Even though they dressed and looked like the Nightsisters, Kylo Ren realized their skin was identical to Maul's and to Savage's. They all had red or yellow skin with jet-black intricate tattoos. In a split second a brutal fight enfolded between Kylo Ren and the sisters. This time, for some reason the dream felt real. Every blow and cut sensation were received as if this was a real fight. He didn't understand why they fought against him and why they looked the way they did, but he was certain that if he didn't defeat them, they would kill him.

Putting all his strength into the fight, one-by-one, he successfully defeated them. Breathing extremely heavy, Kylo Ren looked at his trembling hands and then his eyes gazed upon the mangled corpses of the Nightsisters.

Then suddenly he heard a loud evil laugh. Opening his eyes, Kylo Ren found himself standing in the Nightsisters lair with his weapon still in his hand. With petrified eyes, he looked around to realize that he was not in a dream but instead he was in the cave surrounded by dead Nightsisters.

With shaky breaths, he kept spinning around not wanting to believe his eyes.

"What have I done?" He whispered into the cave.

Then throwing up his arms, he roared toward the ceiling.

"WAKE ME UP! WAKE ME UP YOU BITCH!"

Suddenly, he heard Vaylin's cynical voice in his head.

 _You are already awake. Thank you for your cooperation. Now come and let me out._

Deftly spinning around, Kylo Ren looked in the direction of the narrow tunnel. Slowly, he started to walk toward Vaylin's cell. In his mind he wanted nothing more than to run away. However, his body betrayed him like he was under some sort of spell. Unwillingly, he kept walking, until he reached the wooden door.

Standing in front of it, he heard her voice again.

 _Now open this damn door. We have work to do._

To be continued...

 **Hey everyone! I'm so glad you are still reading my story :D Thank you for your support! Reviews are always welcome! I would like to hear from you all! Thank you! Don't forget to check me out on Pinterest.**

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 **Edit**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16.**

"What am I supposed to tell my men?" Kylo Ren asked, as he and Vaylin walked back to his shuttle.

Placing her hands on his chest she abruptly stopped him. With a meek smile, she said.

"You will tell them that you have made a grave mistake regarding me. You will tell them that you have decided to take me back to Zakuul and I had offered you a treaty that would tremendously benefit you and your people."

"Do you think they will believe me?" Kylo Ren asked with slight cynicism.

"You are their leader, right?" She asked pulling up one of her eyebrows. "Make them believe you." Then snaking her arms around his shoulders, she pressed her body against his and while her lips hovered over his, she whispered.

"If you behave, I'll be gentle enough on you….Ben."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Kylo Ren said, feeling repulsed by her closeness.

Pulling away from him, she looked at him and with a wicked smile, she said.

"Because I can." Saying that, she pressed her lips onto his and forced her tongue into his mouth. Kylo Ren tried to protest and push her away, but he was just not able to do so. This reminded him of his nightmare and while her tongue explored his mouth, a sense of nausea started to take over.

Letting him go, she purred.

"Hmmm….you taste so good." Then she added. "I can't wait for more."

Taking the shuttle, they left the planet and its devastation behind.

After returning to the Supremacy, he ordered his men to change course. Instead of heading to Mandalore, they set a new course to Zakuul. When some of the men questioned and rebelled against the sudden change, under Vaylin's spell, Kylo Ren struck them down without mercy. After that, no one dared to question his motives or orders, or even Vaylin's.

Standing at the foot of his bed, Vaylin was waiting on him to get the key out of his safe.

"Please Vaylin." Kylo Ren begged. "Don't make me do this."

Leaning against the bed, and with a wide grin, she said.

"I love to hear you begging."

With trembling hands, Kylo Ren took out the key from his safe and slowly approached Vaylin. When he tried to refuse to open her collar, instantly he felt his throat constricted to the point he wasn't able to breath. Reluctantly he placed the key into the slot and opened her collar.

As soon as the collar was off, Vaylin spun around and with ease, using her powers; she lifted him up and held him in mid air. With satisfaction on her face, she curiously watched him struggling and then with a swift move, she threw him on the bed, keeping him in place.

She felt like her true self again. The collar she was forced to wear indeed dulled her powers, but not entirely. She was able to get inside Kylo Ren's head and that was enough for her to achieve what she wanted to accomplish.

"What are you doing?" Kylo Ren nervously asked as she started to remove his clothes.

With a wicked smile, she said. "I'm getting you ready for bed."

"Do you want this room?" He asked, his voice frantic. "Go ahead, take it. It's yours. But please let me go."

"Awww." Vaylin said amused. "How cute."

As she violently ripped his pants off, Kylo Ren felt completely exposed and awfully embarrassed. Looking at the ceiling, he wanted to die as her hungry eyes roamed over his manhood.

"I can see you are not as excited as I hoped you would be." Vaylin purred, running her hand up his thigh. Then she added as she grabbed hold of him. "But I think I can still make this happen."

That night, while Vaylin lightly snored beside him, Kylo Ren kept staring at the ceiling. He felt used and disgusted. He was also afraid to fall asleep, fearing he would have another nightmare again. She was just too powerful to fight and he didn't want to upset her. Whatever happened between them was not for his pleasure. Every time she grinded herself against him, he kept thinking of Rey. Only the sweet thought of her helped him through, while Vaylin was having fun on top of him.

Looking at her sleeping beside him, he wanted to grab a pillow and smother her. However, he was no longer in charge of his body anymore. Whatever she did to him, worked very well to her advantage. Feeling pissed off, frustrated, and extremely guilty of what he had done to the Nightsisters, he kept staring at the ceiling until complete exhaustion took over him and unwillingly, he fell asleep.

A few days later they arrived on Zakuul.

Leaving the Supremacy behind, Kylo Ren and Vaylin headed down to the planet. As soon as they approached it, a few security ships quickly surrounded them. Through the holograph, Arcann's image showed up.

"You are in the Empire's territory. Identify yourself."

"Hello Arcann." Vaylin spoke up, as she stood in front of the hologram.

"Vaylin?" Arcann asked surprised. Then he quickly added. "Who is there with you?"

"Let us pass brother." She replied feeling annoyed. "You'll find out very soon."

A few minutes later Kylo Ren landed his shuttle on the outside of their huge palace. Getting out of his seat, he started to feel nervous about meeting her brothers again. He had no idea what she was planning to do with him, and that thought depressed him.

Following her like a good puppy, he swiftly looked around to measure up the new surroundings, as they stepped off his ship.

Not far from where they landed was another ship waiting. As the door opened, Vaylin's brother Arcann stepped out and quickly approached them.

"Why have you brought him here?" He angrily asked. He was about to ignite his weapon to strike him down, when Vaylin stopped him.

"I missed you too Arcann." She said with a cynical tone. Then she quickly added. "He is my prisoner, and a valuable one. Do not harm him, unless I tell you to do so."

"Your prisoner?" Arcann asked pulling up one of his eyebrows. "How did you get away?" He asked, looking from Kylo Ren to Vaylin.

"You'll hear it as soon as I see father." She said intently gazing into Arcann's eyes.

Arcann didn't want to argue with her. He knew his little sister very well. Letting them pass, he and his guards followed them to his father's chamber. While walking behind Kylo Ren, Arcann wanted nothing more than to strike him down. He still didn't understand why he was a valuable hostage. _He is nobody,_ he thought with a smug grin, watching the back of his head.

Through a narrow, long corridor they finally reached a double wide metal door. There were two guards in full clad armor standing on either side of the door. Walking past the guards, they entered the chamber.

To Kylo Ren's surprise, the chamber looked similar to Snoke's, except for the coloring. Instead of red, this vast chamber was deep blue with metal accents on its walls and floor. Behind the tall throne, where the Emperor sat, huge fifteen feet windows brightened up the space. Beside the guards and Valkorion, and Thexan, there was another person within the chamber. First, Kylo Ren couldn't see who it was. As they got closer, he realized it was none other than Rey's father, Palpatine. For some reason his presence was _not surprising at all,_ Kylo Ren sourly thought.

Standing up, Valkorion swiftly approached Vaylin. Embracing her, he let out a relieved sigh and then he said.

"I knew I would see you again."

"Did you even look for me?" She asked, gazing into her father's smiling eyes.

"Why would you even ask something like that?" He asked astounded. "Don't be silly child." He gently reprimanded her. Then he added. "Your mother took a small fleet and she has been looking for you all over the galaxy."

Looking over her shoulder, his eyes landed on Kylo Ren and a shadow of confusion passed his face.

"What is the purpose of him being here?" He asked, eyeing Kylo Ren.

With a smug smile, she replied. "Let me explain it to you father."

After Vaylin explained what had happened, Kylo Ren understood why she had done this. The only reason she wanted him was to use him as bait to get to Rey. Of course, whatever Kylo Ren knew was no longer secret from Vaylin. When she told them about Rey's pregnancy and the prophecy of her children bringing down the Empire, suddenly the room went quiet. Then, Thexan's angry voice was heard.

"We can't let that happen father."

"Yes...yes." Palpatine's raspy voice echoed through the room. "We won't let that happen." He said walking toward Kylo Ren. Standing in front of him, he looked up to his face and with a wicked smile, he said.

"You have changed son." Then he added. "The last time I saw you, you were only a lad. Look at you now." He said, appraising him with his burning gaze. "You are all grown up, eh."

"What do you want from me?" Kylo Ren spoke up feeling irritated.

"I want my daughter back." He said coldly.

"And do you think she would care what happens to me?" Kylo Ren asked, looking from Palpatine to Valkorion.

"I know she would." Vaylin spoke up. "For some reason, she cares about your pathetic self."

"Father." This time Arcann spoke up. "She is already carrying the Zabrak's children's. We need to find her." With distaste in his voice, he added. "She can't give birth to those monsters."

"Yes father, we need to do that now." Thexan said with determination.

Looking at his sons, Valkorion knew exactly how they felt. Betrayed and humiliated by not just Kylo Ren, but by Rey and Maul as well. However, despite her despicable pregnancy, she was still an important element for his visions. Her being a living descendant of Snoke, Valkorion wanted her for his sons. Through their unity, he will finally have what he has been looking for, for thousands of years. The perfect specimen. But first, they needed to find them. Then he will take her babies and kill them, including their father.

"Don't worry my children. We will find them, and lure them into our trap. And after terminating her disgraced pregnancy, she can be yours." Looking at Palpatine, he said. "As was promised."

With a slight nod Palpatine agreed, but on the inside, his mind was racing. This revelation about Aldereya and Maul was a surprise. Of course after seeing them together on Dathomir, he wondered what she was doing with his old apprentice. However, to find out that his daughter was carrying Maul's children, a peculiar thought enveloped his mind. He wanted to get his hands on those children before Valkorion did. When he promised Aldereya to Valkorion, she was still a little child. He was certain she was going to be in good hands, once Valkorion took her in. However, later he became skeptical about the choice he had made in hurry. He was afraid that once his daughter had given birth by either one or both of his sons, Valkorion might use them against him. In Palpatine's mind, everyone was an enemy. Even family can be dangerous, he thought thinking of Lylea. _The mother of my child,_ he thought gazing at the ground thinking of her. _I don't believe in prophecies anymore,_ Palpatine sourly thought trying to dismiss the thoughts of her.

Then his attention turned back to the twins and their father as they eagerly discussed how to find Rey and Maul. However, as his eyes locked onto Vaylin's, he was certain, she'd be more trouble than all her family combined. _One day, her powers will be her downfall,_ he thought as he sent a small grin toward her, and then resumed listening to their conversation.

"Do you think they returned to his home planet, Dathomir?" Vaylin asked while they were inside her bedchamber, getting ready for the night.

"I don't know." Kylo Ren replied, sitting on the bed, gazing at the floor.

"I'll bet he took her there." She said, as she removed her boots. "That is the first place we will look for them."

Looking at him, with a frown she asked.

"Why are you not undressed yet?"

As his eyes met hers, with a sly grin, he said.

"I don't want to take them off."

"Awww." She purred in her cold voice. "Are you still mad at me about the sisters?"

"Why did you make me do that?" He growled.

"Why do you care?" Vaylin replied feeling annoyed. "They were nobodies."

"Anyway." She said, lowering herself onto his lap. "In the coming days, you and I will have lots of fun." Grabbing his hair, she pulled his face closer. Gazing into his dark, angry eyes, and licking her lips, in a hushed voice, she said.

"When my father and brothers gets what they want, I might keep you around a while longer."

Pressing her lips on his left cheek, she licked his face, causing Kylo Ren to shudder with disgust. Then sensually kissing and biting his lips, she whispered into his mouth.

"I want you to kiss me down there. Just like this."

Reluctantly, Kylo Ren agreed to please her.

* * *

On Dathomir, Rey was panting hard from the pleasure she had just experienced, as Maul's skillful mouth worked its way over her stomach and breasts, and then to her lips. Gently kissing her, and in a low voice he asked.

"Did you miss this?"

Nodding her head, she smiled at him and said.

"What kind of question is that?" Then she added. "Of course I missed it."

Lying down beside her, and placing his hand on her stomach, in a mischievous tone he said.

"You know, you're going to get fat."

"Bastard." Rey exclaimed, playfully slapping his arm. Then with a sly grin, she added. "You are a true monster."

"Thank you." Maul replied grinning. "I know I am."

"Do you think we will be safe here?" Rey asked, still feeling unsure about them staying on Dathomir.

"We will never be safe, until they are defeated." Maul replied with a stern voice. Then he added. "Savage and Darach should be returning soon. With the help of my brothers and sisters, Dathomir will rise again and I promise you, no one will dare to challenge us again."

Placing her hand on his chest, she looked him in the eyes and asked.

"Do you wish to have boys or girls?"

"Doesn't matter." He replied. "Boy or girl, it makes no difference. I will teach them the way of the Force." With a grin he added. "They will be unstoppable."

"You mean we will teach them." She said with a smile, twisting his nipple.

"Oh, I see what you're doing." He said amused. Pressing his lips to hers, he pushed her beneath his body, while his hands deftly explored her again.

Days later the Empire showed up. Hiding in the mountains, on his cloaked ship, Maul was certain, this was the first place they would look for them. That is why he made sure not to touch the corpses of his brothers and sisters. They wanted to properly bury them, but _that had to wait,_ he thought with anger as he watched their ships landing near the Nightsisters cave. With the help of his probe droids, he was able to picked them up in time, as they approached the planet. And now looking through the lenses of his droids, he and Rey silently watched the twins stepping off the ship followed by their guards. Immediately, they started to comb through the area.

Staying on the Infiltrator, they all waited days before the Empire finally left empty handed.

After returning to the cave, they were ready to bury the dead. Maul was certain, they will not be back, or at least not for a while.

Using the Force, they picked up all of them, or what was left of them. After saying their final goodbyes, each of them was lowered into the green water, while Rey's mother chanted a deep and sorrowful farewell song. Their bodies and bones finally reunited with the planet. When it came to his mother's corps, Maul had a hard time saying goodbye.

With teary eyes he watched, as Rey with Lylea picked her body up and gently lowered her into the water. The rage he felt toward Palpatine and now the twins was overpowering. He couldn't wait to reunite with his brothers and take their revenge on them. Even though his mother's prophecy said it would be his children who would bring down the Empire, he just couldn't wait that long. He was getting impatient. He wanted to end them now. But Rey had begged him not to go. She wanted to have her children and be able to raise them with him by her side. So, Maul gave in and vowed to her he would not go, unless he was forced to do so.

A couple weeks later, Savage with the others returned. But there was no celebration. The loss of his mother and everyone still felt raw and Maul wanted to respect their memories. Sitting around the stone table, they silently ate their evening meal.

As months passed, life on Dathomir had returned. However, they did not completely return to the old ways. Having only a handful of Nightsisters left, instead of living apart, Maul wanted to unite them all. Together they forged a stronger unity that would leave them less vulnerable.

It was late in the afternoon, when Rey went into labor. During her shower, suddenly, a sharp pain traveled up her lower back into her rounded belly. This pain was so unexpected, for a second it took the breath out of her. Holding against the wall of the shower, she clutched her belly and let out a shaky, painful moan. A few seconds later another one of these painful waves hit her hard and with gritted teeth, she loudly moaned, while swiftly she turned off the water.

Slowly and carefully, she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping a towel around her, she walked out of the bathroom, calling for Maul. Then she remembered he was on a hunt with Savage and a sudden panic engulfed her. A loud knock on the front door shook her out of her troubled thoughts.

Shuffling toward the door, and while another wave of torturous pain took over her body; she opened the door to see Kenobi standing there with a bag in his hands. His eyes grew wide with surprise to see her wrapped in a towel.

"Uhmm...I'm sorry." He said feeling embarrassed. "Your mother sent me to drop this off." He said, holding the bag out.

Then he noticed her distressed expression, worriedly he asked.

"Are you alright?"

Grabbing hold of his hand, she squeezed it hard as another wave hit her. Through gritted teeth, she growled, while her hazel eyes turned fiery red.

"Go, get my mother and Maul. NOW!"

"Yes, of course." The young Jedi swiftly replied, fearing the next thing she would do is to blast him with a powerful electric strike. With a frightened expression, he added, as he pulled away from Rey. "I'll go and get your mother."

Putting the bag down, he turned around and ran back to his vehicle. Within an hour, he returned with Rey's mother and Shae. While Asajj went after the men to bring them back, all three attended to Rey's needs.

"Go get some water and more towels." Lylea instructed Kenobi, who stood there awestruck to see Rey in agonizing pain. Every time a wave of pain rushed through her body, he could see her rounded belly slightly shake beneath the towel. It was a frightful and amazing thing to witness. Composing himself, he ran into the bathroom to get the things Lylea was asking for.

When he came back, Shae was administering Rey some green liquid in a cup.

"What is that?" He asked.

"It's an ancient pain reliever." Rey's mother replied.

After taking the drink, Rey's body relaxed a bit, allowing her to sleep a little bit.

Watching the sleeping Rey, Kenobi nervously asked.

"How long this will take?"

"To have the babies?" Shae asked with a smile.

"Uhm...yes." He replied.

"It all depends. It could take days or they could arrive anytime now." Lylea replied.

Kenobi hoped that by the time Rey was ready, Maul would be back. The thought of helping with the birth terrified him.

"Don't be nervous." Shae said, placing her hand on his shoulder. Then with a sly grin, she asked. "Have you ever seen a woman give birth?"

"Oh, uhm, not entirely." Kenobi nervously replied. In truth, he had never even seen a woman naked; let alone witnessing a live birth. Even though he was already past twenty, he was still a virgin. However, he didn't want these women to know of this. It was best to keep this to himself.

"I just hope everything is going to be fine." He said, feeling uncomfortable under Shae's piercing gaze.

Hours later, Maul, Savage and Asajj had arrived.

"She is still sleeping." Lylea said to Maul, as he anxiously stood at the foot of the bed.

"How long has she been asleep?" Maul asked.

"A few hours." Rey's mother replied.

Hearing his voice, Rey's eyes fluttered open and looking at Maul a thin, tired smile appeared on her face. Then suddenly her expression changed into a painful one and tightly clutching the sheets, she let out a sharp cry.

Many hours later, the first baby finally arrived. As the baby's head crowned, Maul was able to see the dark hair that covered the baby's head. Then a cute, crimson face came into view. After a few good pushes, while Rey screamed with agony, the baby's upper half slid out of her, and then with another push, the lower body became exposed, showing the baby's sex.

"It's a girl." Lylea exclaimed, holding the newborn in her hands.

Instantly, the baby's loud scream enveloped the room. After cutting the umbilical cord, Lylea handed the newborn to Maul.

Proudly he gazed at his daughter. Her light crimson skin and dark hair was a beautiful picture to behold. Beneath her silky black hair, Maul was able to see the tiny buds that with time eventually will become her horns. She looked _just perfect,_ he thought feeling extremely emotional at the moment.

"Her name is Zyre."

Looking at Rey, she slightly nodded her head, showing Maul that she was happy with his choice. Then another painful contraction ripped through her body, as the second baby was about to arrive.

Within a few pushes, the second baby girl came into view. Unlike the first one, this baby's head was completely bald, except for the little buds that covered the top of her pale skin.

As soon as Lylea cut the cord, her loud scream quickly enveloped the room.

This time, Rey asked to hold the baby.

Placing the screaming newborn into her arms, Rey looked at her daughter and with a smile she said.

"Her name will be Saevi."

Looking up from the baby's face, she saw everyone's happy and satisfied faces. This moment was the happiest moment of her life. All the people that stood in the room with her were her family. And they all wanted to see and hold the babies. Even Kenobi, who had looked extremely pale and frightened, was smiling and congratulating them. Then it was time for her to feed them, and after everyone left the room, Maul stayed behind and lying down next to Rey, he watched as she placed each baby on each breast and started to feed them.

"They look beautiful." She said with awe, not believing her eyes.

While feeding, Saevi opened her eyes and looked at Rey. _She has my eyes and coloring,_ Rey thought with a smile. Then Rey's eyes landed on Zyre, who looked just like Maul, except for the dark hair, that reminded Rey of her mother.

 _I have a family again,_ Rey happily thought. _I will never let you out of my sight,_ she thought feeling extremely protective toward them.

Watching them with Rey, a strange sensation rushed though Maul. Until this moment, he had never thought how important Rey or his children were to him. He would do just about anything to keep them safe. Thankfully during the past months, they were left alone. The Empire had not returned, but Maul knew better. Eventually, they will come back and that time they all have to be prepared. Sometimes he wondered what happened to Kylo Ren. Although she didn't talk about him much, Maul knew Rey still cared for him. This disturbing knowledge always left him perplexed. He just couldn't understand why she cared at all.

When Rey finished feeding the babies, she handed them to Maul. Lying back on the pillow, within minutes she was fast asleep. As he held his girls, first a thin smile appeared on his face, and then it grew into a wider one, as each baby cooed and smiled at him.

* * *

"How come you haven't found them yet?" Valkorion irritably asked, as Arcann and Thexan bowed at his throne.

"Father." Arcann spoke up, agitated. "We have looked everywhere."

"Apparently not everywhere." Valkorion replied. His tone of voice was cold and firm. Then he added. "It's been months. By now, most likely she has given birth."

"We may have found someone who can lead us to them." This time Thexan spoke up.

"And who is this person?" Valkorion impatiently inquired.

"We found her on Mandalore." Thexan replied, gazing up to his father. The he added. "Vaylin's pet told us that he had known her for a while. The last time he had seen Shae was when he had left her behind with Rey. She will tell us where they are."

"Then get to it." Valkorion replied, and then with a cool voice, he added. "You are greatly disappointing me. Don't come back, until you have the right information."

Bowing their heads, the twins stood up and walked out of the chamber.

While they approached the holding cells, Arcann angrily protested to his brother.

"Nothing is ever good enough for him. We will never please him like Vaylin does."

"Don't let his actions get to you." Thexan calmly replied. "Control your anger, brother."

Feeling extremely agitated, Arcann wanted nothing more than to lash out at their father. Every time they came back from one of their battles, even though they had victoriously won on his behalf, their father was never pleased. However, when it came to Vaylin, he showed a surprisingly tender heart toward their little sister. Now, Vaylin had her own little army. With Kylo Ren being her puppet, she took control of his men and his fleet. Of course that had tremendously pleased their father.

It has been months and they were unable to find Rey. Even on Dathomir, the only thing they had found was rotten corpses and devastation. After leaving that planet, they searched and searched all over the galaxy. These unsuccessful searches left Arcann impatient and angry. He wanted his revenge. He wanted to bring them back here and kill her mate in front of her. _How dare she mate with a lowlife scum like this Zabrak,_ he thought annoyed. _She belongs with me and with my brother._

As they stepped into the holding cell, Shae's frightful eyes locked onto the brothers. She cursed herself many times about being careless. She should've gone to Mandalore. She should have just stayed on Dathomir. However, she missed her home and after years of being captive in the Arena, and years of serving the Knights of Ren, she was happy that she had the chance to return and see her people. Because of her careless mouth, someone ratted her out to the Empire. Now she was their prisoner and she had no idea what was to come.

Closing the door behind him, Thexan approached Shae. For a few seconds, he gazed into her frightened eyes, and then with a swift move he grabbed hold of her left forearm and started to squeeze it. Shae was used to pain and at first it didn't bother her as much as Thexan wanted it to. However, while he held onto her, he sent a powerful Force push into her arm that painstakingly traveled up her arm all the way to her heart. For a torturous few seconds, she felt her heart stop. Then, something wet dripped onto her upper lip. Involuntarily, she licked the liquid off, tasting its coppery flavor.

"This was just a small presentation of what will come if you don't tell us what we want to hear." Thexan said, still holding onto her arm.

Then she heard Arcann.

"You are just a useless Mandalorian." With distaste, he added. "Not even a Force sensitive. Do you think we would want to keep you around?"

When Shae didn't reply, Arcann stepped closer and while his piercing gaze tore into hers, with a serious face he said.

"If you tell us where Rey is hiding, we will not harm you and we might even consider returning you safely to your planet. But, if you refuse to tell us, my brother and I would love to torture you to death. Make your choice and make it now."

Shae didn't want to say a word. She knew if she told them about Dathomir, everyone including the precious babies, would be killed. With defiance in her eyes, she looked at Arcann and without warning she spat into his face.

Reaching up, Arcann slowly cleaned off the bloody saliva off his face, and then his eyes turned red. Through the closed door, Shae's horrified scream was heard as her torture began.

 **Hey Hey Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

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	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

"Faster." Vaylin loudly moaned as he picked up his pace. Lying flat on her back, she enjoyed Kylo Ren's fingers deftly moving in and out of her. She just loved the way he touched her, and she couldn't get enough of it. As months passed, he had become a skillful lover, which Vaylin enjoyed to the fullest.

"Oh Maker." She gasped, as his fingertips touched the sensitive walls of her sex. There was a special spot that gave her the most satisfying sensation every time he rubbed against it.

Pulling up her legs to her chest, he leaned over her and as fast as he could, he kept rubbing the same spot, until he felt her soft walls quivering, signaling for him that she was ready soon.

These were the moments when she looked _truly vulnerable,_ he thought, as her pleading eyes begged him to be taken. Swiftly, he removed his hand and quickly he flipped her around.

When her body hit the bed, he spread her legs apart and quickly, he mounted her. With every thrust, her soft body was pushed deeper into the sheets giving him satisfaction. He wished to smother her, watching her face pushed into the pillows. However, he was unable to do that and that pissed him off.

With frustration, he grabbed hold of her hips and mercilessly pounded into her, until she came undone around his length.

"Oh...Makeeeeeeeer." The pillow muffled Vaylin's voice as she screamed into the soft velvet, while her whole body shook from the amazing orgasm that rocked her to the core.

As soon as he felt her release, he wanted to pull out and finish on her backside like he always had, but this time she reached back and grabbed hold of his arm, not wanting to let him go.

"Vaylin…. please…. no." Kylo Ren breathlessly begged as he felt his manhood was about to erupt at any seconds. He wanted to finish, but not like this. However, his lusting body betrayed him and with a deep, loud roar, reluctantly he released his seed inside her. Feeling exhausted, he slumped down on top of her, breathing heavily into her ear.

"Why did you make me do that?" He asked with desperation.

Turning her face to his, and with a wicked smile, she said.

"I want to have a baby."

"No." He whispered, looking into her cold dark eyes.

"Aww." She cooed. "You're no fun."

Rolling off her, he laid flat on his back and buried his face into his hands.

Pushing herself onto her elbows, she disapprovingly looked at him, and then she pinched his nipple hard, making him cry out in pain.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked feeling irritated.

Even though their sex life was fairly enjoyable, he felt used and disgusted every time he was with her. Until now, she solely used him for her satisfying needs, but now, she wanted more. She wanted to use him for breeding and that disturbing thought gave him a nauseated feeling inside.

He loathed the thought of having children with her. _I'd rather die_ , he thought, letting out a frustrated sigh, as he swept her hand away from his chest.

"Leave me alone." He said sourly.

"Don't be a pouty baby." She said amused. Then she added as she sat up. "Just think about it. We could have powerful children. More powerful than what my father is foolishly trying to accomplish with Rey and my brothers. Don't you want that?" She asked gazing into his eyes.

"No, I don't." He said with a frown.

"Well." She said pulling up one of her perfectly picked eyebrows. "It's not really up to you now, isn't it?"

Saying that she got up and sat on top of him.

"What are you doing?" He asked, staring at her with disbelief.

As she slowly started to grind against him, in a hushed voice she purred.

"I want to make sure I get what I want."

Feeling her wet sex rubbing against his skin sent an unpleasant shiver through his body. As much as he tried to keep his thoughts off her, again, his body betrayed him. As she slowly took his length in, with a sly grin she started to move her hips, while her glowing eyes never left his anxious face.

Two days later he was sent down to Dathomir.

As he sat in the pilot seat of his ship, his troubled thoughts were on Rey. In a few minutes, he was going to see her again. He couldn't wait to get there and talk to her. Although his mission was not for his liking, still he was going to see her and that made him somewhat happy.

The past few days while the Supremacy stationed above Dathomir his mind kept coming back to Rey and to her mate Maul. It's been months since Kylo Ren had seen them. He had no idea after all this time how they would feel about him showing up here uninvited.

With a heavy heart, he landed near the Nightsisters cave. As soon as he walked out of the ship, many Zabrak, male and female, greeted him. Among them was Savage, whose deep yellow eyes curiously sized him up as he stepped off the ship.

"What an unpleasant surprise." Savage amusingly said watching Kylo Ren approaching him.

"I'm glad to see you too." Kylo Ren replied with a small grin.

"Why are you here?" Savage inquired. He didn't like this one bit. Even though their last encounter was a peaceful one, still he didn't trust him.

"I'm here to see Rey and her mother." Kylo Ren said, cautiously eyeing the Zabraks.

With a cynical tone, Savage replied. "Give me the message and I will gladly tell them, and then you can go on your merry way."

"This is a personal message." Kylo Ren pressed on, starting to feel a little agitated with Savage. Looking at the others, he had a bad feeling about why these Zabraks were here. They all stared at him with suspicion and looked like they were about to pounce on him at any second.

"Personal, huh?" Savage asked with a frown.

"Would you mind escorting me to them?" Kylo Ren asked, hoping he would comply and not pester him with more uncomfortable questions.

"Are you alone?" Savage asked. "Or do you have some of your men hiding in that ship?" Saying that he beckoned toward the ship.

"I'm alone." Kylo Ren assured him.

Turning to his people, Savage said.

"Search his ship."

Then he turned his attention back to Kylo Ren.

"Let's see if you are telling the truth."

Calmly, he looked at Savage and waited until the two Zabrak came back telling him that the ship was empty.

Then, he was escorted toward the large mountain that also served as the Nightsisters temple.

As soon as they walked through the giant gaping female mouth of an entrance, he found himself in a pleasantly cool environment. Looking around, he admired the small islands surrounded by glowing green water that gently flowed between them.

He noticed there were more Zabraks here.

As he passed them, they all gave him piercing looks that made him feel uneasy. Somehow, he sensed that these Zabraks were here getting ready for something bigger to come.

Then his eyes landed on the biggest island with a large stone table.

"Wait here." Savage said as he signaled to some of his men to stay, while he went to look for Rey and her mother.

As he patiently waited by the table, he noticed Asajj approaching. _She looks different,_ he thought as she stepped closer. Instead of wearing her regular dark outfit, this time she wore traditional revealing Nightsister attire that showed off her flat stomach and lean long legs.

With a sly grin, she looked at him and said.

"Hello, Ben." Then with a chuckle, she added. "If you came to see Shae, she is not here."

Knowing exactly where she was, Kylo Ren looked away for a second and then he replied to the frowning Asajj. "I came to see Rey."

"Oh yes of course." She replied. Then she added. "And what else?"

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I know you." She started, as she slowly measured him up. "You didn't come all the way here just to see her. Why are you here…. alone?"

Asajj was suspicious, and he didn't blame her. She had trained with him and fought by his side for years. She was not as easy to deceive as to the menacing-looking simple-minded Zabraks.

Composing himself, he spoke up.

"Something terrible happened."

"What happened?" Rey asked anxiously, as she quickly approached them.

Looking over Asajj shoulders, Kylo Ren's heart skipped a beat watching Rey walking toward them.

Also wearing a traditional Nightsister outfit, she looked _elegant and nice,_ he thought with awe, as she stopped in front of them.

As his eyes roamed over Rey, he wanted nothing more than to hug her and kiss her. However, he knew that thought was futile. Quickly dismissing this foolish thought, he was about to reply, when Rey's mother walked into the cave with the babies in her arms.

Instantly, their adorable gurgling and cooing enveloped the cave. Suddenly, his heart started to ache. These babies were Maul's and this was just _truly depressing,_ he thought disheartened watching them squirming in Lylea's arms.

"Ben." Rey called to him watching his surprised face. "What happened?"

From the babies, his eyes landed on Rey and then he said.

"I'm sorry to tell you." He started, looking from Rey to her mother. "A few weeks ago, I acquired some terrible news." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "The Nightsisters temple was destroyed."

"What?" Rey's mother exclaimed, anxiously looking at him. "Who did it, and when did this happen?"

From her accusing eyes, he wanted to look away. The lie he was about to tell them upset him, knowing full well what happened that night.

As calmly as he could, he resumed.

"Somehow the Empire found out where the rest of Snoke's people were kept. As they invaded the cave, I heard they killed every one of the Nightsisters and destroyed the cave."

"How do you know all this?" Rey asked confused.

"Why?" Lylea asked with a hurtful tone. "Why did they kill them?" She whispered as she tried to hold herself together. "They were innocent. They never hurt anyone!" Lylea sobbed. Quickly approaching her mother, Rey took the babies out of her arms.

"Mother, please." Rey started, trying to soothe her mother. "There is nothing we can do about it now."

"Yes, Ben." Asajj spoke up, folding her arms in front of her chest, while she suspiciously looked at him. "Please, enlighten us where did you get this information?"

"I have good connections." He replied with a firm tone. Then he added. "By the time we got there, the whole cave was destroyed. Believe me, I tried to help them." His last words gave him an extremely unpleasant feeling inside. This terrible lie left a sour taste in his mouth. As he looked at Rey's and her mother's anxious faces, he felt tremendous guilt. He hoped they would believe him. He had to make it back to the Supremacy, where Vaylin was waiting for him to report. To deliver this message was a reasonable excuse to come here and scout out this place without causing suspicion. Even though he didn't want to do this, under Vaylin's spell, he was helpless and lost.

However, he did not expect to see Asajj or Savage here. They were both skeptical and this did not sit well with him.

"How do we know you don't work with them?" Savage asked, as his hands hovered over his weapon.

His blatant accusation gave Kylo Ren slight anxiety. It felt like Savage was able to see through his scheme. Quickly, he spoke up.

"I made a deal with you all, didn't I?" Then he added. "I promised to bring down the Empire and finish their reign once and for all."

"It's true." Savage replied. "However, promises can be broken." Saying that his eyes traveled to Asajj, who intently watched Kylo Ren, and then she looked toward Savage.

Sensing the uncomfortable tension, Rey approached Savage, and after giving him a scolding look, she handed the babies over. She knew how he felt about Ben and she didn't want him to do something that would lead to an unnecessary fight.

"Please Savage." Rey pleaded with him. "Take the children and my mother back home."

For a second, Savage's surprised eyes gazed into Rey's. Then, he signaled Asajj to stay, and as he held onto the shaken Lylea, he and his men left the cave.

After everyone left, Rey turned to Kylo Ren and asked.

"How did you know I was here?"

"I thought you would want to return to your home planet to have your children here." Kylo Ren replied.

"So that is why you came all the way here to deliver this horrible news?" Rey asked feeling anxious and angry with what happened to her mother's friends. _They're still looking for us,_ Rey thought with apprehension looking at him.

Gazing into her eyes, he stepped a little closer and said.

"I missed you Rey."

"Oh please." Asajj mockingly said. "Don't be pathetic."

"Please Asajj." Rey said looking at her with a frown. "Don't be rude."

Feeling already aggravated with everyone, Kylo Ren wished that he could lash out and shut Asajj up. Although she always deemed herself a good warrior, he never truly liked her much. He was aware that Asajj and Shae were close friends, and he knew how she felt about Shae's and his secret relationship. Because of that, she was never fond of him. However, she did respect him, but it looks like _things had changed,_ he thought sourly staring into Asajj's piercing eyes.

Then Rey said. "Leave us, Asajj."

With disbelief, she looked at Rey and said.

"I don't want to leave you alone…. with him."

In a firm tone, Rey replied.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

As she looked from Rey to Kylo Ren, and then back to Rey again, reluctantly, Asajj walked away but stayed close by just in case he had something else up his sleeve.

When she was out of earshot, Kylo Ren looked at Rey and in a low voice, he said.

"You look nice."

"Thank you." Rey replied with a small smile.

"How is everything with you?" She asked gazing into his eyes.

"I'm doing good." Kylo Ren replied. He wished he could tell her what was going on, but every time he tried to mention the plan, his throat felt tight and the feeling of suffocation enveloped his body.

Then, as he scanned around the cave, he said.

"It's a beautiful place you've got here. I'll bet you like it here better than Jakku."

"Yes, of course." She replied with a smile. Then she asked. "How long are you staying?"

"Not long. I just stopped by to tell you what happened." He said, feeling guilty about his answer.

"Please stay at least for dinner." Rey insisted.

Shaking his head and with a mischievous grin, he said.

"I don't think Maul would want to see me here." Then he added as he extended his arm toward Rey. "I think it's better if I leave. It was nice to see you again."

There were a few awkward moments between them. He wanted to grab her and warn her about what was to come, but he was not able to do that. The extreme frustration he felt at the moment was overwhelming. After all these months he was finally here with her and he couldn't say a damn thing to save her life.

From his offered hand, she looked up to his worrisome face. There was something strange about the way he looked at her. He seemed slightly anxious and even sad. Instead of taking his hand, she stepped closer and gently embraced him.

For a moment, Kylo Ren felt speechless. This sudden gesture came as a surprise. However, he welcomed it with pleasure, as his arms enfolded around her body.

This hug felt relaxing and while her body was pressed against his, he lowered his head and kissed into her hair. Then a single tear fell down his face.

 _He is scared_ _I can feel it,_ Rey thought while her head rested on his chest. She wanted to ask more, but then she thought otherwise.

Taking a deep breath, he reluctantly let her go and then he said.

"I have to go now. We need to prepare for the war to come."

"Yes, we have to." Rey replied, feeling apprehensive about their bleak future. She had no idea how long it will take to defeat the enemy. Therefore, she was not looking forward to going to war. However, there was no peace for them until the twins with their father and her father were defeated. There was no other choice _but to fight,_ she thought disheartened.

Gently caressing her face, he said.

"I'll see you around."

Then he was off walking out of the cave escorted by a few Zabraks.

"How touching." Asajj said with a cynical tone, as she watched after Kylo Ren.

Turning around, Rey looked at her and asked.

"Why do you have to be so mean?"

"Being mean kept me safe during all those years in his Master's Arena." Asajj replied with a frown. Then she stepped closer to Rey and asked.

"Do you believe him? Do you think he can be trusted?"

"Yes." Rey replied.

"Don't be naive." Asajj said in a mocking tone. "I think something is up, and I don't like this at all."

"Do you think he came here to lie and cheat us?" Rey asked with disbelief.

"I'm not sure why he came, but I can tell you one thing." Asajj replied with a firm tone. "I'm afraid, his unexpected visit might bring down the Empire on us."

"Do you think he was followed?" Rey asked, not wanting to believe that he came here to spy on them.

"Followed?" With an evil sound, Asajj chuckled. "No Rey. More like he brought them with him."

Then with a serious face, she added. "It's time."

"No, it's not." Rey protested. "The prophecy…

"Mother Talzin is dead." Asajj quickly cut in. "Every one of my dear sisters is dead because of them. No Rey." She said looking at her. "The time is right. We need to act now. Let them come."

Rey wanted to tell her, they were not ready, but knowing Asajj, she was not going to back down, not without a fight.

When he reached his ship, he said farewell to the Zabraks and then within minutes, he was off heading back to space. On his way to the Supremacy, his heart ached liked it never ached before. The thought of Rey getting captured and her children killed was painful to think about.

Reaching the main ship, he safely landed and then he walked into the large crimson chamber, where Vaylin was waiting for him.

As soon as he walked in, she felt it. The undeniable conflict and the disgusting and pathetic endearment that he felt for Rey was enough to piss Vaylin off. As he stepped closer in a cold tone, she said.

"Kneel."

Obeying her orders, he dropped down on his knees and bowed his head.

Slowly, she walked up to him and stood in front of him. Placing her hands on her hips, she stared down on him and then after a few seconds of silence, in a mocking tone, she asked.

"How did your trip go, darling?"

The cynical tone of her voice made him want to get up and grab her and choke the life out of her. Then he felt her hand grabbing his chin, and as she turned his face upward, he could see the anger and hurt in her dark eyes. Something he hasn't seen yet. She was suffering and that knowledge surprised him but also frightened him as well. Then before he could open his mouth to reply to her question, suddenly she forced herself inside his head. The pain that followed was unbearable making Kylo Ren double over in agony. While he writhed in agony on the cold hard floor, she searched his mind and found what she was looking for.

* * *

That night, when Maul finally came back from the Nightbrothers old town, he walked into the home and said to Rey. "Are you ready?"

"I'm not leaving." Rey said with determination.

"Yes, you are." Maul replied annoyed. He already knew about Kylo Ren's visit and he was not happy to hear that he came here and talked with Rey alone. If his visit meant an inevitable war on Dathomir, Maul wanted to make sure that Rey and his children were safe and far away from this place.

"We already talked about this." Maul insisted looking into Rey's upset face.

"I want to stay and fight." Rey firmly said. Then she quickly added. "My mother will take the children. If something happens to me…

"Stop it." Maul growled, feeling agitated with her defiant attitude. "Our children need you."

"No Maul!" Rey exclaimed. "They need both of us!"

For a few seconds, an eerie silence enveloped the room. While his burning gaze penetrated into hers, he wanted to tell her that she needed to stop fighting him and just listen and leave with the children while she can. However, he knew why she didn't want to go.

"You want to face him, don't you?" He asked, breaking the quietness of the room.

"Yes." Rey replied. "I need to do this Maul."

"Rey." Maul started, gazing into her wide eyes. "I….I….don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me." Rey assured him, and then she walked closer to him. "I'll be fine."

Standing in front of him, she looked into his worried face and she was about to say something else when he suddenly said.

"I want you and the children to go…. because…. I love you and I can't bear the thought of losing you all."

For a split second, Rey stared at him dumbfounded. She couldn't believe her ears. After all these months spent together, he finally admitted his love for her. This came as a great shock. Although he treated her and the children with great care, she never thought that this day would ever come, to hear these words from him.

"You really love me that much that you want to send me away?" Rey asked feeling extremely emotional at the moment.

Cupping her face into his hands, he looked into her eyes and said.

"Yes, I do."

Then he leaned over and softly kissed her lips. As Rey returned the kiss, she embraced him and tightly hugged his muscular frame. To be close to him like this was an extremely calm and safe feeling. She had never imagined that the monster that had hunted her in that dark forest would become an important part of her life. This man meant everything to her, and she would do anything for him.

"You won." She whispered into his ear.

With a mischievous grin, he whispered back. "I always win."

Looking into his eyes, she asked. "When do I need to go?"

"Start packing now." He said with a saddened tone. Then he let her go and went into the room, where his daughters slept peacefully.

As he stood above their cribs, his heart filled with anxiety and also with anger. He was scared and he hated this feeling. He didn't want to let them go, but he had no choice.

Then he heard Rey in the bedroom getting ready for the journey. Leaving the baby's room, he walked into the bedroom and while he watched Rey packing, he asked.

"Do you want me to go get Lylea?"

"No." She replied as she placed another garment into her suitcase. Then she added. "Stay here with the girls. I'll go and get her."

Stepping closer, he embraced her and after planting a kiss on her lips, he said.

"Hurry back."

"I will." She said with a small smile. Then she rushed out of the house to go and get her mother.

On her way to the cave, Rey's mind was in great turmoil. She wanted to stay and fight, but she also wanted to go. She felt torn apart every time she thought about the people she would leave behind. However, to keep her family safe she had no choice but to leave.

 _We will win,_ she thought with determination as the Nightsisters mountain came into view. Then, suddenly out of the dark night sky, three large ships started to descend toward the cave.

 _NO! NO! NO!_ Rey thought with sudden anxiety, as she sped toward the mountain.

* * *

"Are you ready brother?" Arcann teased his twin as the ship landed on the ground.

"What kind of question is that?" Thexan replied with a grin, and then he added. "Of course I'm ready."

As soon as the door was down, accompanied by the knights of Zakuul, they all stepped off the ship. It was late into the night and _most likely everyone was in bed already,_ Arcann thought with excitement. However, the eerie quietness of the area raised suspicion in Thexan. He didn't see anyone around, _not even a single sentinel,_ he thought with slight worry. He was aware that they can easily walk into a trap; therefore he made sure none of them entered the cave until Vaylin and their father arrived.

"Let's go my love." Vaylin beckoned Kylo Ren as they stepped off the other ship. "We have work to do." She mockingly said as they approached her brothers and the rest of the men.

Followed by his Knights of Ren, Kylo Ren trailed behind Vaylin. As he anxiously looked around, to his relief, he didn't see anyone in sight. _My visit must have alerted them,_ he thought with apprehension. He hoped he didn't have to fight Rey or Maul, or even Savage. His stomach felt like he had swallowed a snake. The nerve-wracking sensation that swirled inside him made him nauseated. He hoped that Vaylin would get killed and with her death, he'd be free of her damned spell.

"Do you think they know we're here?" Arcann asked looking at his sister.

"Doesn't matter if they know or not." Vaylin replied. Then in a malicious tone, she added. "They'll all die tonight."

While they all went ahead to surprise everyone in the cave, from the last ship, Valkorion accompanied by Palpatine stepped off into the cool, dark night.

As Palpatine's eyes scanned the bleak terrain, a sudden and painful memory resurfaced in his mind. The same memory hunted him, every time he set foot on this planet. Then he felt something, he hadn't felt in years.

Turning to Valkorion, in a raspy voice he said.

"The Force is strong with us tonight. We will win and get what we came here for."

"Wisely spoken my friend." Valkorion replied, while his eyes searched the surroundings.

Then he heard Palpatine again.

"I'm going to take my troops and go around to the back of the cave."

"Very well." Valkorion replied and then he ordered his knights to go ahead and follow his children.

After Valkorion left, Palpatine turned to the Captain of his guards and firmly said.

"Make sure my grandchildren are not harmed. I want them alive and unharmed."

"Yes my Lord." The Captain replied and then he ordered the rest of the troops to follow him.

"This way." Palpatine ordered his red guards, as he made his way to the other side of the mountain toward the woods.

 _He is here!_ Maul's mind screamed, as he suddenly dropped his weapon that he was cleaning at the kitchen table. Swiftly, he picked it up, and then he stood up and rushed into the baby's bedroom. One-by-one he picked them up and bundled them into his cloak. He wanted nothing more but to go and help Rey and the others. His heart ached just to think about what might happen to them. However, he had no choice but to take the girls somewhere safe and out of reach of the Empire.

As he walked out of the house to get to his ship, he heard the familiar voice of Kenobi.

"Maul!" He shouted. "They're here!"

As he turned around, Maul instantly felt a momentary relief, as he watched Kenobi and Lylea rushing toward him. Anxiously, he asked.

"Where is Rey?"

"You need to go and help her." Lylea replied, and then she walked up to Maul and took the sleeping children out of his arms.

After handing the babies to Rey's mother, with apprehension Maul said.

"Take care of them."

"I will." She replied nodding her head. Then Maul's attention turned to Kenobi.

"Please, go with them and watch over my family."

"Don't worry." He said with a boyish grin. "I'll take care of them like they were my own."

"Thank you, my friend." Maul replied with a thin smile, and then he took one last look at his children. With a heavy heart, he turned around and sped toward the Nightsisters cave.

"Knock, knock." Vaylin's cynical teasing voice cut through the uncanny quietness of the empty cave. Then she raised her hands and with her great powers, she mightily shook the high ceiling, slowly separating a large layer of rock from the top of the cave.

After a few seconds of ear-splitting cracking and rumbling, part of the stone ceiling slowly gave away. As it started to fall, suddenly midway, the countless shapes and sizes of rocks stopped and froze, levitating above the clusters of islands.

With a look of shock on Vaylin's face, she was a single figure standing on one of the larger islands at the back of the cave.

With extended hands, Rey stood next to the large stone table and looked toward the coming enemy. While her eyes locked onto Vaylin's a sudden anger enveloped her mind. In an instant, she knew what Vaylin had done not just to Kylo Ren, but to the Nightsisters as well. The disturbing images that she sent to Rey were enough to drive her mad. However, despite the hurtful images Rey kept her mind calm and composed as she stared down every one of them. Then her strong voice echoed through the cave. "Don't underestimate us!"

"She is still defiant, but not for long." Arcann murmured as his eyes fixated on Rey.

"We'll break her." Thexan added with a sly grin.

Hearing their words, Vaylin turned around and looked at them.

"Don't worry my sweet brothers, I won't ruin your fun."

Signaling everyone to stay, she slowly approached Rey. While she carefully stepped around the floating rocks, her eyes never left Rey's. Then she shouted back.

"You are just a foolish girl and nothing else! We will crush you!"

"What makes you so sure that you can crush us?" Rey asked watching Vaylin slowly walking closer to her.

"Because you are just a nobody scavenger with primitive friends." Vaylin replied.

"We'll see about that!" Rey shouted back as she lowered her arms and let the rocks fall on Vaylin.

However, Vaylin quickly shoved the rocks out of the way and sent them toward Rey.

Deftly evading them, Rey pulled out her lightsaber, and swiftly ignited it. Then she rushed toward Vaylin, who also ignited her weapon, engulfing her evil visage with a bright yellow glow.

As soon as the woman's weapons collided, behind Rey from the darkness of the cave, with loud battle cries, many Zabrak led by Savage and Asajj rushed forward to meet the enemy.

Within seconds, the two sides crashed into each other, instantly engulfing the cave with the screams of the fallen ones.

 **To be continued...**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

Watching Rey and Vaylin's equally powerful fight gave Kylo Ren a nervous feeling inside. Then his attention quickly turned to the next Zabrak who fiercely attacked him. Swiftly blocking his attack, Kylo Ren deftly spun around and with a powerful move; he sliced open the Zabrak's back, making him cry out in anguish as he hit the ground. Then he was ready for the next one as she came flying toward him with a battle-ax in her hands. As hard as he tried to stop himself from killing them, he was still helpless under Vaylin's evil spell. With frightened eyes, he watched as the female Zabrak's upper torso slowly separated away from the rest of her body. With a loud, wet thud, her sliced off torso hit the ground in front of his boots.

Then as he looked up, his eyes met Asajj's who stood only a few yards away from him. With a wicked smile, she rushed at him.

* * *

Maul ran as fast as he could through the dark forest to reach his destination. Feeling the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he pushed himself harder to get to the Nightsisters cave. He hoped he'd get there on time. He couldn't think about losing Rey. _I'm nothing if I lose her_ , he thought with despair as he kept running.

* * *

She is here, Palpatine thought as his eyes searched the dark, misty surroundings.

"I can feel her." He murmured looking straight ahead. Then he looked to his left and quickly signaled to his guards to stay put, as the two unsuspecting people rushed toward them.

As soon as Kenobi came into view Palpatine sent a powerful lightning strike toward him. However, Kenobi was no fool. Quickly igniting his weapon, he blocked the deadly strike with one swift move. Then with the power of the Force, he quickly disabled two of the guards, sending them back toward the trees.

However, his brave but futile attack was short-lived, when he received another attack from Palpatine, making him hit the ground with great force. As he tried to get up, his eyes landed on Rey's mother, as she stood at the edge of the clearing holding the babies in her arms.

Her loud voice swiftly cut through the coolness of the night.

"Sheev stop!"

"Why should I?" Palpatine replied with a mocking tone turning his face toward her.

"Because I'm asking you." Lylea firmly replied gazing into his empty expression.

Slowly, Palpatine lowered his arms and then he stepped closer to her. Standing in front of her, his eyes swiftly roamed over her and then his attention turned to the babies that were bundled into a dark robe.

"May I see them?" He asked eyeing the dark fabric.

"You came for them, didn't you?" She asked looking into his eyes.

With irony, he replied. "You were always the smartest one." Then he added as he extended his arms toward her.

"Now hand them to me."

"No." She replied with defiance.

"I'll keep them safe." He replied with a meek smile. Then he added, as he looked toward Kenobi. "I could let him live and fight another day with the true enemy if you give them to me."

"I stopped trusting you a long time ago….Sheev." Lylea replied with anger in her voice.

There were a few seconds of silence between them, as they gazed into each other's eyes. Taking a deep breath, Palpatine looked away from her and turned his attention back to Kenobi again, as he lay on the ground.

Signaling to his guards, he ordered them to bring Kenobi to him.

As the two guards grabbed hold of the young Jedi, they lifted him off the ground and dragged his body across the ground.

As they dropped him in front of Palpatine, he watched him for a few seconds. With a pitiful expression he looked up and with a raspy voice, he said to Lylea.

"What a shame that you let this young man die tonight."

Saying that he quickly sent a bolt of powerful Force lightning into Kenobi's body, making him instantly convulse in excruciating pain. After countless seconds of continuous torture, he stopped just to look up to see Lylea's frightened face staring into his.

"Are you ready to hand them to me?" He asked with an evil grin. However, behind that grin, there was something else lurking in those deep crevices that Lylea was hoping to use for her advantage. She knew she was overpowered by not just him, but also by his guards as well. There was no way for her to fight them all off by herself. However, she was certain that if he really wanted to hurt her, he would have done that by now. _He is holding back,_ she thought, watching his face.

Then she spoke up.

"What kind of deal have you made this time?"

A sudden shadow of worry crossed his aging face. Then he said as he looked at the wrapped-up babies in her arms.

"I came here to save them."

"Save them?" She asked with an ironic laugh. Then she added. "How could you say that?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you." Palpatine replied with annoyance. "I came here to save my grandchildren."

His honest words left her in shock. He was telling her the truth, and she knew that. And this frightened her even more. Not just the thought that her only daughter was fighting for their freedom and a better and more promising future, but here before her, stood her one-time lover and mentor, who came here for one purpose and one purpose only.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked gazing into his eyes.

"No." He replied. "I want you and the children to come with me."

"To come with you?" She asked with amazement.

"Yes." He replied, holding his arms out again. "Let me have them."

"What about him?" She asked motioning toward the unconscious Kenobi.

"Leave him." Palpatine replied. "He would only be a burden to us."

For a fleeting moment, she wanted to say no to him and tell him to go to hell. However, she knew she was in no shape to refuse his offer. Millions of thoughts of all kinds instantly engulfed her troubled mind. While her rational mind screamed not to trust him, on the other hand, she had no choice but to trust him if she and Kenobi were going to survive tonight.

With trembling hands, she was about to hand the children to him, when suddenly, one of the guards head flew off and landed on the ground a few yards away from Kenobi.

Then another one was attacked, as Maul rushed out of the forest with vengeance. Quickly, he cut the guard down, and then with a powerful Force push, he sent another one flying through the air.

He had to be fast because he knew these guards will give him trouble if he didn't finish them quickly. His deadly surprise attack paid off as the last guard's body hit the ground.

Standing above his last kill, Maul's eyes locked onto Palpatine's. As he kept his eyes focused on his old Master, he said to Lylea.

"Lylea, go and take the children." Then he added. "Leave him to me."

Slowly, she backed away from Palpatine, and then she turned around and rushed away in haste.

"Oh, yes." Palpatine chuckled watching Maul. "I've been waiting for this moment."

Reaching beneath his robe, he pulled out his weapon and ignited it, engulfing his deformed visage with a bright red glow.

Then the two men rushed at each other and their deadly fight began.

* * *

"You will never have him." Vaylin teased Rey as she blocked another attack. Deftly spinning around, Rey sliced at her legs hoping to immobilize her. However, her reach was too short as Vaylin swiftly moved out of the way.

 _She is strong,_ Rey thought with despair, as Vaylin attacked her again and again.

"Why would you think I want him?" Rey yelled back.

"Oh." Vaylin teased again. "You are a bad liar."

Rey was getting tired of her arrogant attitude. This woman was evil to the core and Rey wanted nothing more than to shut her up for good. However, she seemed to know what Rey's next move was, as she kept blocking her advances, which pissed her off even more.

Then, suddenly something caught Rey's attention.

Standing in the back of the cave close to the glowing green water was the ghostly form of Mother Talzin. For a second, Rey thought she was hallucinating. Then Talzin's stern face morphed into a smile, and then she heard her voice in her head.

 _Don't hold back. Let go Aldereya._

At that moment, Rey felt enormous anger bubble up inside her as darkness enveloped her. When she opened her eyes, Vaylin was taken aback for a second watching her lifeless blank expression. Then Rey lifted up her left hand and sent a powerful lightning strike into Vaylin's body, knocking her back. Then as she stepped closer, she sent another one and another, until Vaylin's body was greatly convulsing on the ground. Standing above her barely conscious body, Rey looked down with an evil grin. She was about to make her final move, when she was struck by a Force lightning coming from Vaylin's father, Valkorion. The extreme pain that he caused made Rey angrier. Swiftly regaining her stamina, she returned the favor, striking back at Valkorion.

"Asajj, STOP!" Kylo Ren yelled as he felt Vaylin's powers dissipating from his body.

With a cynical tone, she replied.

"Now, you are begging me to stop?"

"No, I'm not begging." Kylo Ren shouted back. "I don't want to fight you."

"Are you afraid of me?" She asked with an evil chuckle as she attacked him again.

Kylo Ren didn't want to waste time. Vaylin was either dead or badly hurt and this window of opportunity gave him an extra boost to finish the suffering that he had endured over the past few months. He did not want to feel trapped ever again.

With his regained Force powers, he lifted Asajj up and pulled her closer.

While her surprised face was only inches from his, he looked into her frightened eyes and with a firm tone, he said.

"Are you going to help me, or not?"

In agreement, she nodded her head and then he let go of her and placed her on the ground.

Quickly looking around in the surrounding madness, he noticed Rey in a Force lightning match with Valkorion. Then his eyes landed on Savage as he bravely fought one of the twins. Then he noticed Arcann fighting his way toward him.

As his eyes locked onto Kylo Ren's, he cracked a menacing smile. Then he rushed at them.

* * *

"Give up my dear." Valkorion's strong voice carried over the battle cries. "You are no match for me."

"Your overconfidence will be your demise." Rey shouted back, while she firmly held against his powerful strikes. Yes, he was extremely strong, but not entirely undefeatable.

 _There is a way to kill him._ Rey heard Mother Talzin's calm voice in her head again. _Let me guide you, my child._ She assured her.

 _All right._ Rey replied.

Suddenly, everything in her head went blank and an eerie silence enveloped her. As she looked around in the surrounding darkness, suddenly a bright glowing light appeared in front of her. As the light grew brighter, Rey felt an extreme heat enveloping her whole body. The scorching heat felt _pleasantly good,_ Rey thought with amazement, while her body was burning up from the inside.

Instinctively, she reached out and touched the glowing orb. At that moment everything she had experienced in her life before rushed through her head like rapidly moving images. Then she suddenly found herself in Snoke's bedchamber. Looking down on the mosaic tile, Rey noticed something.

There was a small knife lying on the ground. As she looked closer, with amazement, she realized it was the same knife she had stolen from the tent. Crouching down, she picked up the knife and held it in her hand. There was an intricate deer carving on its hilt, however as she looked closer, she realized there was something embedded into the blade, which she hadn't noticed before. There was a name, Dramath burned into the metal.

 _Use it. Use it. Use it._ She heard countless whispers coming from all around. _And use the power as well._ Quickly, Rey stood up and she immediately found herself back in the madness of the cave. Looking down, she noticed the knife was still in her hand. Then her jet-black eyes found Valkorion's and then she sped toward him.

Valkorion had no time to block her attack, as she was fast upon him. As soon as she reached him, he felt a sharp pain just beneath his chin, as the knife sliced into his flesh. Then his frightened eyes locked onto hers, and in a whisper, he said one thing.

"How?"

With a sudden move, Rey pushed the knife upward into his skull. While his life gradually left his body, she slowly consumed his powers, killing him instantly. After pulling out the knife, he collapsed to the floor, while his lifeless eyes accusingly penetrated into hers.

Swiftly, she wiped the blood off and then placed it back into her boots. Then she turned around only to see the extensive carnage within the cave. There were countless body parts scattered around the cave's floor. To her left, she saw Savage fighting like a crazed animal, as he sliced the twin in black in half. Then her attention turned to Asajj and Kylo Ren as they madly fought with his twin brother. Anywhere she looked she saw death, suffering and unimaginable madness.

A fit of extreme anger bubbled up inside her. It was a wave of deep, emotional anger that she had never felt before, an anger that was eating her alive.

Then, an utmost calmness took over her and reaching out she said one thing.

"Stop."

Suddenly, everyone froze in place. Not a single person was able to move a muscle.

The entire battlefield seemed like it had been frozen in time.

Slowly, she approached Kylo Ren, who stopped in mid-air, as he was about to strike Arcann down.

As she placed her hand on his arm, she said.

"Enough."

Then within seconds, everyone hit the ground like rag dolls.

With frightened eyes, Kylo Ren looked at Rey standing above him. He wanted to say something but he wasn't able to open his mouth. Her jet black eyes deeply penetrated into his, while an uncanny calmness took over her stern face. At that moment she reminded him of Snoke.

Then her attention landed on Arcann, who stared at her with utter disbelief.

Walking up to him, she lowered herself in front of him and while her eyes searched his, she said.

"Your father and brother are dead. However, you are still alive and so as your sister. Do you want to live, or do you want to die?" Then she added as she straightened up. "Make your choice."

Slowly, Arcann stood up and approached his unconscious sister. After picking her up, he ordered some of his men to collect his father's and his brother's bodies. Then he walked back to Rey and as he bowed his head and in a humble tone, he said.

"I'm asking for your permission to leave and take my family with me."

"Only on one condition," Rey said. "Never take arms up against us, or I will destroy you."

Nodding his head in agreement, Arcann turned away from her and walked out of the cave, followed by the remainder of his men.

After they left, Rey turned to the dumbstruck Kylo Ren and said.

"Stay here. I have an unfinished business to take care of."

With that, she rushed out of the cave and headed into the dark woods.

* * *

"Oh, you poor fool." Palpatine chimed as he stood above the wounded Maul. "Did you think you could defeat me?"

The wound on Maul's side gave more pain to fuel his anger toward his old Master. However, as he tried to get up, his body gave in and he collapsed back to the ground, making Palpatine chuckle more loudly.

"Once I kill you, I will take the children." He said amusingly, as he looked at Maul's angry expression. Then he added. "They will be much better apprentices that you ever were, my friend."

"You'll never find them." Maul growled back.

"Oh yes, I will." Palpatine said with a grin as he extended his arms.

"And now, you will die." He said as he sent a powerful lightning strike into Maul's already battered body.

The pain was unbearable, and Maul had to truly concentrate not to pass out. He wanted to live and take his revenge. He couldn't stand the thought of him taking his children. He couldn't let that happen.

As the agonizing pain rushed through him, and while every single muscle painfully twitched inside his body, Maul opened his mouth and roared with painful anger.

His agonizing voice carried over the woods.

Hearing him made Rey run faster. She wanted to reach Maul in time. She had no idea where her children were but she sensed that they were all right and safe. However, she knew one thing. Her father was here and most likely he was causing pain to Maul and that thought pissed her off even more. Maul's agonizing voice was a painful reminder of her father's cruelty. She'll have no choice but to end him.

As soon as she broke the treeline, the first thing she saw was Kenobi lying facedown on the ground surrounded by dead Imperial guards. Then her eyes landed on Maul who was convulsing in great pain in front of her father.

Immediately, she stopped him.

While Palpatine was frozen in time, she rushed to Maul.

Cradling his head, she planted several kisses on his lips and with a worried expression she asked.

"Are you okay?"

With a low growl, he replied.

"Yes, I believe so."

"Where are the children?" Rey asked anxiously.

"They're safe with your mother." He replied, and as he looked at her he touched her face and said.

"Your eyes."

She cracked a small smile and then she stood up and approached her father. Standing in front of him, she said.

"Hello, father."

Palpatine's surprised face stared into hers, and then a small grin appeared on his deformed visage.

"Hello, my dear." He said. Then he added. "I see you are all grown up."

"Why are you doing this?" Rey asked stepping closer.

With a small chuckle, he said. "One day you'll understand."

"What do you mean by that?" Rey inquired.

"You, my daughter, are the greatest weapon that I ever created." He said with an evil grin.

"Yes." She said with an amused smile. "I am."

In an instant, his face morphed into a fearful expression. In her blank eyes, he saw nothing but his own reflection.

Then she cupped his face into her hands, and then she whispered while he felt his powers being slowly sucked away from him. "This is the last time you hurt anyone... father."

The unpleasant and painful feeling was tearing him up from the inside. He tried to scream, but there was no sound coming out of his gaping mouth. There was only darkness ahead from where there was no return.

After consuming his powers, she let him go and dropped his body in front of her boots.

Looking at his crumpled small form, Rey felt nothing but emptiness. She knew what she did was wrong, but this man was an evil being just like the other one. She was glad that he was gone.

Maul was in shock to see this immense power coming from her. She was definitely the most powerful being he had ever seen.

"Let me help you." Rey said as she turned away from her father's dead body and looked at the amazed Maul.

"Rey." He said embracing her. "I….

"Shhh." Rey shushed him, as her eyes returned to their normal state. With a smile she said. "Let me help you."

Pressing her lips to his, and while passionately kissing, she instantly healed Maul making him feel energized and anew.

Then they walked up to Kenobi.

Squatting down in front of him, Rey checked for his pulse. Then she looked at Maul and with a mischievous grin, she said.

"It's time to wake him up. However, I don't think he will like it."

Placing her hands on Kenobi's back, she sent a quick electric jolt into his body to wake him up.

With a jerking motion, Kenobi jumped up and with frightened eyes, he swiftly looked around while taking up a fighter stance.

Then when he realized what was going on, he relaxed a little and with a boyish smile he asked.

"Uhm...did we win?"

"Yes." Rey replied. "For now."

Then he nervously looked around and asked.

"Where is Lylea?"

"We have to go and find her." Rey replied.

"Alright." Kenobi said with a smile. "Let's go."

They found her mother at Maul's ship. When she saw them approaching, she rushed out and swiftly hugged Rey.

"I knew you would come." She exclaimed.

"Where are the girls?" Rey asked.

Letting Rey go, Lylea looked at them and then she said.

"They are on the ship, sleeping." Then she asked. "What happened?"

After Rey explained to her what happened, Lylea felt at ease. Palpatine was dead alongside Valkorion and that thought pleased her tremendously. However, she didn't understand why Rey let the son and the daughter go.

"Why did you let them go?" Lylea asked, searching her daughter's eyes.

"I'm not a heartless monster like my father was." Rey replied.

With a warm smile, she looked at Rey and said.

"No, you're not."

* * *

At the Nightsisters cave, everyone who was not gravely injured was helping to collect the dead ones. When they were done, Kylo Ren walked up to Rey's mother and begged for forgiveness, for what he had done to the Nightsisters.

"I know what happened to you." Lylea replied with a flat tone. Then she added. "It wasn't your fault."

"Thank you for understanding." He replied gazing into her eyes.

Then he turned to Rey and said.

"I have to get back to the Supremacy and bring Shae down here."

"Shae?" Rey asked with disbelief. "What is she doing up there?"

"It's a long story." Kylo Ren said feeling horrible about what happened to her. "But she is hurt and needs your help."

"Yes please, bring her here." Rey said with an anxious face.

Then his eyes met Maul's and in a solemn voice, he said.

"I also owe you an apology. I'm sorry about the Arena."

For a few seconds, Maul looked at him with scrutiny. Then he extended his hand and said.

"Apology accepted."

After shaking his hand, Kylo Ren said farewell and was escorted to his ship by Asajj and a few Zabraks.

On his way to the Supremacy, his mind was on the future that still looked somehow bleak to him. He understood why Rey let Arcann and Vaylin go. He couldn't accept the fact that Vaylin was still alive. In his heart, he wanted them dead.

 _I'll get an opportunity soon,_ he thought as the Supremacy came into view.

* * *

The next day Kylo Ren flew down to Dathomir and after saying goodbye to everyone, he stopped by at Shae's room to say goodbye to her as well.

"I'm going to leave you here." He said as he stood at the foot of the bed.

"Are you leaving?" She asked anxiously as she sat up.

Gazing into her eyes, he replied.

"Yes."

He was about to leave when she spoke up.

"I hate them so much."

Stopping for a second, he turned to face her and said.

"I feel the same way."

"Then let me come with you." She said as she shifted on the bed. With an icy tone, she added. "Together we can take our revenge."

"Are you sure that is what you want?" He asked eyeing her.

"Yes, Ben…. I'm sure." She replied as she pulled off the covers to expose her stump.

"We need to get you a new leg then." He said as he approached the bed and picked her up into his arms.

"I guess we can come up with a solution, right?" She said with a grin looking into his worried eyes.

"I guess we can." He said with a mischievous smile. Then he walked out of the room and headed for his ship.

* * *

Rey and Maul watched as Kylo Ren's ship left Dathomir.

"Do you think we will ever see him again?" Rey asked, watching the ship disappearing into the sky.

"I hope not." Maul murmured.

"Oh." She said as she slapped him on the arm. "You are mean."

"I know." He replied with a wicked grin.

Then he grabbed her and pressed his lips onto hers. While passionately embracing each other, Rey felt that anything life may bring to them, together as a family, they would be invincible and unstoppable.

* * *

 **Epilogue**

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" Zyre said looking at her twin sister. "You are just like father." She added with distaste.

Shrugging her shoulders, Saevi replied with a wicked grin.

"Boohoo to you, my dear sister."

"Look." Zyre started to say not liking her sister's attitude. "We're here because of the artifact. Don't forget that."

"And don't forget my dear sister that we are destined to bring down the Empire." Saevi replied with slight cynicism.

"Yes." Zyre replied feeling annoyed with her sister. "You don't have to be cynical about it."

Turning to his sister, Saevi said.

"We know one thing though. Grandmother made a mistake and spoke of another Empire."

"No." Zyre replied. "She didn't make a mistake. She spoke of an Empire, but was never specified which one. Her vision showed something that had not happened yet."

"Look who's talking about being stubborn?" Saevi replied as she blew a mocking kiss toward Zyre.

"Ugh...you know if you were not my sister." Zyre started to say when someone nearby spoke up.

"What would you do to her?"

"Who's there?" Saevi asked, searching the dark corners of the cave. "Show yourself."

Suddenly, out of the darkness, a tall figure emerged.

As he stepped into the light, both women looked at him with awe.

He was tall with dark curls that hung low into his pale, handsome face. Wearing a dark outfit he stood there with confidence, while his deep brown eyes curiously looked at the twins.

Taking advantage of the girl's astonished phase, he said.

"Who are you?" With a grin, he added. "And what are you doing here?"

Quickly composing herself, Saevi mockingly replied.

"I was about to ask the same from you."

"I asked you first." He pressed on while eyeing the two women.

"We don't have to tell you anything." This time Zyre spoke up. She didn't like this at all. Most likely he was here for the same reason they were here for.

"Well then." He said as he reached for his lightsaber that was clipped to his side. "I guess I have no choice but to introduce myself in my way."

Saying that he ignited his weapon engulfing his young face with a bright yellow glow.

"Let me introduce myself as well." Saevi mockingly said as she ignited her weapon that glowed bright red in the dimness of the cave.

Then Zyre followed, igniting her double edge lightsaber, illuminating her crimson face with a bright purple glow.

Within seconds their weapons collided with high-pitched buzzing sounds that echoed through the cave.

The end

 **Hey everyone! Did you guess who the young man was in the epilogue? :D I hope you enjoyed my story! Comments are welcome. Thanks again for your great support! May the Force be with you all!**


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